Found Out
by NoOneHoney
Summary: Hawkmoth is on on a mission to find out Ladybug and Cat Noir's true identities. Will he succeed? What will Ladybug and Cat Noir do?
1. Failure is a Time For Learning

…..Gabriel…..

"Dark wings fall." Hawkmoth said. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index fingers. The skylight was just closing on the mid-spring sunset. He watched it close and caught one last glimpse of the orange and pink-flecked sky.

Gabriel put his red and white striped ascot and his black-rimmed glasses back on. Nooroo flew tentatively by his master's shoulder. Hawkmoth opened a pantry door in the room of white butterflies and uncovered a slice of store-bought-present-style cheesecake.

"Thank you, Master." Nooroo said. He sighed a little and took the small piece of cake. He kept his eyes low to the ground.

Contrary to what the Kwami probably thought, Gabriel didn't hate Nooroo, he merely saw him as a means to an end. He didn't love the creature by any stretch he felt perfectly indifferent.

"How did it go, sir?" Nathalie asked robotically. She didn't hesitate to make eye contact with him as he rose through the elevator in the floor. Gabriel pushed up his glasses.

"Another failure." He replied.

"My apologies sir," Nathalie said, she looked down and made the slightest expression of disappointment.

Gabriel walked over to the couch and sat down. He started flipping through channels and stopped when he reached the news. A helicopter was recording Ladybug and Cat Noir fist-bumping and celebrating their success. Cat Noir attempted to kiss Ladybug and she gently pushed him away. Gabriel noticed the slight blush rise on Ladybug's cheeks. He rolled his eyes. _I may be able to use their affections against them. If those insolent children only knew the power they- _The fast movement of Ladybug touching her earring stopped his thought. He glanced at Cat Noir and he too touched his ring. Her hands whipped back down to reach for her yoyo to leave. She swung out of the shot. Followed by Cat Noir in the opposite direction. Gabriel rewound the footage and zoomed in on Ladybug's Miraculous. The picture was blurrier than he would have liked, but it was undeniable one of the spots on Ladybug's earring was blinking in and out and disappeared. _Ah, so they're on a time limit. She must go somewhere before she transforms back. _The same could easily be said about Cat Noir.

Nathalie was watching him do this and came to a similar conclusion. "Sir, if we could send someone to follow Ladybug or Cat Noir to catch them when they transform back we could get their Miraculous' from them without their costumes."

"That was my thought precisely Nathalie," Gabriel replied. He got up, walked over to Nathalie and squeezed her shoulder before leaving his office to meet Adrien for dinner.

…..Adrien…..

Cat Noir landed silently on his veranda. "Claws in." He whispered.

"Haa." Plagg sighed. "You should really give it a rest with that Ladybug girl she's so not interested."

Adrien entered his massive room. Full of toys and presents from when he was a kid, things his father gave to him to shut him up. _It's not like he really loves me. _He winced at the passing thought. "You know why I can't do that Plagg. And besides, I think she'll come around eventually. She has before." He thought of the photo Aliya took of himself and Ladybug. That time they had amnesia. "I'll just have to keep trying." He shrugged to himself and kept walking. He stopped in front of his mirror.

Adrien checked his watch, he still had fifteen minutes until dinner with his father. He changed into his formal wear and combed back his messy hair, he should really slow down when he's fighting at least a little. But at the moment he can't really control himself it's like flying it's way too fun to just go slow for the sake of his hair.

"Why don't you go for that Marinette girl? She's totally into you." Plagg said between bites of camembert.

"No way. She's just a nice girl. She's just a friend. I even confronted her about it." Adrien replied while doing one final check in the mirror. He had to look his best and do his best maybe then his father would notice him more.

"Aaand?" Plagg got into Adrien's face. The little Kwami's breath wreaked of stinky cheese.

"And nothing Plagg. Come on. I've got a dinner to go to." Adrien gave a little smile and opened his jacket for Plagg to fly into.

When Adrien reached the table the meal was already set out. He checked his watch again, he was five minutes late. He cursed in his head, then sat down.

He and his father ate silently. "Uh, Father?" Adrien's voice quivered a little his hair was still a mess even though he spent so much time trying to fix it.

….. Gabriel…..

"What is it, Adrien." Gabriel tried on a smile. _Emilie if only you where here, this is so hard without you. _His left hand was on his knee under the table. He thumbed his wedding ring.

"I'm grateful that we are eating together tonight." Adrien returned his father's smile and went back to his meal.

"Of course Adrien." His heart panged. He didn't know what else to say. Gabriel forced down another forkful of flavorless food.

….The Following Morning….

"M-Master? Your son is leaving for school would you like to wish him well?" Nooroo asked as Gabriel was getting ready for his day.

"You are not to speak to me about matters that don't concern you. Unless you'd like to never speak again." Gabriel didn't even bother to look at Nooroo in the mirror. Gabriel wanted to have a more active role in his son's life but what would he even say? "Nooroo go to… our place of work. I will join you momentarily." Gabriel hated it when Nooroo was right and he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing him do as Nooroo requested.

"Yes, master." Nooroo nodded meekly and fluttered off as he was told.

Gabriel stood in the stairway and watched his son leave.

Adrien saw him standing and smiled brightly he waved and said. "Goodbye, Father."

"Goodbye, Adrien."

Nathalie smiled at Gabriel. "That was very kind of you, sir."

Gabriel left without another word. He retreated to his sketchbook and worked on finalizing two of his greatest designs for his summer collection his first wasn't working he'd likely have to start over with it. The other he found pleasure in and finished it off. When he was halfway through new concepts for his first piece. his miraculous alerted him that there was someone in need of power. He left his work unfinished for the time being.

…..Nooroo…..

"Nooroo we have something different in mind today." Gabriel walked to the pedestal in large strides and removed his glasses and ascot.

"Really master?" Nooroo's expression was excited and quizzical. He rose a bit to meet Gabriel at eye level but was still careful enough to not make eye contact.

"You are to follow Ladybug after this villain is defeated to find out her identity. If you are found out and evaded by Ladybug I will take away your voice for as long as you serve me. You will never be able to open your mouth unless it's to eat to recharge your power."

There was wild energy to his eyes and only his eyes. If he wasn't paying attention Nooroo would think that his master was simply behaving as he normally does. _Excitement perhaps…? _Nooroo thought. Yes, this was the first time he had ever seen his master this excited.

"Is that understood Nooroo." That wasn't a question. Nooroo knew full well that his master would follow through with this if he were to fail.

"Yes, Master." Nooroo replied crestfallen.


	2. Mother Nature

_Previously on Found Out: _

_Plagg: Why don't you go for that Marinette girl? She's totally into you._

_Adrien: She's just a friend._

_…_

_Adrien: Goodbye Father!_

_Gabriel: Goodbye Adrien._

_…_

_Gabriel to Nooroo: "You are to follow Ladybug after this villain is defeated to find out her identity. If you are found out and evaded by Ladybug I will take away your voice for as long as you serve me."_

We continue

…..Marinette….

Marinette snored softly, golden light peaked through her sheer pink curtains.

"Adrien.." she murmured and smiled.

_Marinette. _She heard him call to her, they were going to meet for tea and cookies.

_Marinette! _He called more urgently.

"I'm… right here, Adrien." Marinette continued to snore.

"MARINETTE!" She awoke and if she didn't have bars on her loft bed she would have fallen out of it. Tikki fluttered in front of her and gave a knowing smile. "Hurry Marinette you're going to be late for school."

She scrambled to get her PJs off and her clothes on. "Thank you, Tikki!" Marinette ran down the stairs, her clutch hanging open and her backpack on one shoulder. She stopped just before entering her parent's bakery.

"Here Tikki," Marinette whispered. She held open her clutch for Tikki and shut it behind her.

She burst through the door to her parent's bakery grabbed a croissant, and made a run for school.

….

Marinette made it to school in as big of running strides she could manage, with half her croissant hanging in her mouth. She made it with five minutes until school started.

"Hai… Awyah." Marinette said between taking in oxygen and the final bits of food.

"Hey, girl. At least you're kinda on time today." Aliya matched pace with her friend as they walked up the stirs for class.

….

When they got to class Marinette almost tripped over her own feet when she saw Adrien. She unknowingly untied her shoes in the action. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt her face flush when she saw his emerald eyes meet her gaze. He smiled at her, warm like the sun. Her face grew hotter and she couldn't think a single coherent thought.

"Hi, Marinette." Adrien waved from his desk.

Aliya went up the steps to her desk first and brushed a hand over Nino's shoulder as she passed. He touched her hand. A passerby wouldn't notice him gently kiss Aliya's hand.

"Bye Driean… Uh I mean Hi Adrien!" She smiled with her whole face and waved at him. She moved her foot to go up the stairs to her seat and tripped on her shoelace falling up the stairs. Her face hit smack into one of the carpeted concrete stairs. "ow…" Marinette whispered. She righted herself before anyone could ask if she was okay then took her place next to Aliya. She grabbed and rubbed her left cheek.

"Would you like me to get you an icepack?" Adrien asked.

"No, you'recute okay. I mean, I'll be okay." Marinette's face stayed red. Adrien almost persisted but, the teacher entered the classroom so even if Marinette wanted to get an ice pack with Adrien she couldn't. Aliya patted Marinette's back in encouragement and sympathy.

…..Elsewhere…..

Mother: "No. Julian, sweetie, you're not going to hang out with your friends until you've finished your homework." (She's holding a rose from her garden.)

Julian: "But Mom! It _is_ finished!"

Mother: "Did you clean your room?"

Julian: "Yes. Mom. I'm not three anymore!" (Julian moves to leave.)

Mother: "No. Sweetie, you don't know these people well enough. They'll hurt you."

Julian: "Grrr. Mom I've had enough I'm hanging out with my friends today. They're my friends I do know them, cut it out and let me live my life! (He slams the door behind him his mother crumples and cries, the rose still in her hand.)

…..Gabriel…..

"Nooroo dark wings rise!"

In a flash, Gabriel was transformed into Hawkmoth.

"I sense a saddened mother afraid to let her child seek independence."

Hawkmoth laid out his hand and a snowy butterfly landed and fluttered its wings. Hawkmoth caged it with his hands loosely. Doing so turned it black with cracks of violet along the outer edges of its wings. It hovered above his hand and seemingly drunk on the evil infused into it, it stumbled in mid-air trying to right its syncopated wing beats.

"Fly away my little akuma and evilize her!" Hawkmoth called, and with a flourish spun his cane. In response, the akuma fluttered off to leave through the skylight.

Gabriel closed his eyes and stood peaceful. His consciousness was seeing through the akuma, the blue sky and fluffy clouds of late-afternoon Paris. He saw the tope buildings with brick-red rooftops and the sun felt comfortably warm on the little butterfly's black wings.

Hawkmoth just relaxed because any minute now his akuma would touch its victim. Any moment now.

Sometimes Gabriel really resented that Nooroo's power pertained only to butterflies they are such slow fliers. Aaaaand finally.

He saw the lavender magic glow around his eyes in his peripheral. He had her.

"Mother Nature. I'm giving you the power to manipulate age so your precious baby never has to grow up and leave you. In exchange, I want Ladybug's earrings and Cat Noir's ring."

"Easy peasy! Mothy! Oh thank you so much!" she almost squealed. This woman actually clapped her hands together, she was _that _excited.

_Mothy?! _Hawkmoth scoffed. _She'll be done with soon enough. _He had to admit that this was the first time that someone was _this_ happy to receive evil powers. Hawkmoth didn't have high expectations for her success. She was overall similar to all his past victims.

Once he was sure Mother Nature was on track Hawkmoth turned back into Gabriel and checked his watch. He had, if things went as they normally did, just over twenty minutes until Ladybug and Cat Noir "helped" this woman. Gabriel adjusted his ascot _Her powers are far more than an improvement. _he thought.

"Master, may I please if you don't mind, may I recover first? Um, before you send me off?" Nooroo sounded faint as he did normally after use.

_I don't want him to fail due to something as trivial as exhaustion. I need to know who these children are so I can steal their miraculous myself. _"A half portion to keep you alert so you won't be seen." Gabriel nodded at Nooroo, giving him permission, and then adjusted his glasses.

"Oh thank you, master!" Nooroo spiraled once around Gabriel, then phased into the closet with the cheesecake inside. In half a minute Nooroo was out again he flew faster and more energetic.

"Nooroo. Do not fail me." Gabriel used his dad-voice. He used this voice when Adrien was a baby and getting into the cookie jar. This voice was firm and commanding, not a request. Nooroo swallowed his last little bite of cheesecake.

"Yes, Master." Nooroo's face fell but his little body flew determined.

To hit this point home harder, Gabriel snapped his fingers and Nooroo's mouth disappeared. "You won't speak until you return. Consider it a taste of your punishment should you fail."

Nooroo met Gabriel's eyes fear and determination colored his expression. B_e determined. Find out who they are. _They held eye contact for a few seconds, then Nooroo flew out through the skylight, following the akuma.

…..Nooroo…..

Nooroo sped through the air. For once a taste of freedom from his master, and it was spent in silence. He followed the sound of car alarms, explosions, and ...crying babies? Nooroo was confused but kept to the outer circle of the action. He darted into buildings when he could so he wouldn't be spotted by civilians from the ground. Cat Noir arrived at the scene first. He swung his staff fast enough to use as a shield, deflecting an attack. He yawned playfully, covering his mouth with the back of his gloved hand.

Nooroo flew into an office building, it was evacuated due to the attack. He avoided being in direct sight of the window. He hovered just behind a tipped over desk.

"Going to have to try harder than that mommy dearest." Cat Noir taunted. An attack crashed through the window and hit Nooroo's shield-like desk. What used to be a desk turned into nails and plywood. Nooroo flew up through the ceiling to the next floor he had to have been 30 floors up in this skyscraper as it was.

Ladybug arrived and pointed out to Cat Noir where the akuma was. Nooroo could make out her silhouetted through the frosted glass. He checked the room, _This place is…_ _for human meetings maybe? _he thought. Before he had time to blink or look at other details in the room Ladybug called her Lucky Charm. Nooroo couldn't make out what the object was.

He looked up and saw a clock hanging on the wall. _Master said just over twenty minutes. _Time was almost up. His tiny heart picked up speed. If he failed he may never be able to sing with his friends, the other kwami, again.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug called from outside. Nooroo sped out the window. She was on the rooftop. If he didn't take his eyes off her he could track her and not lose speed. _I'll have to either fly above her or below through the buildings. There's more of a chance she'll see me if I go in through the buildings. It's best if I fly above her and don't stare at her for too long. Otherwise, she'll feel my eyes on her and see me. I may have to follow at a bit of a distance. _Content with this plan Nooroo nodded to himself and was prepared to go.

"M'lady," Cat Noir was still talking to her. Nooroo didn't dare put his head up. From the way, the sound carried Cat Noir's back was facing Nooroo which would mean that Ladybug would see him if he ventured a look. "Please, why do you always run and hide from me?"

Giggling from Ladybug. Nooroo thought his heart was going to jump right out of his chest he was sure someone could hear it. "Because, kitty. It's the rules." Ladybug replied. She grunted a little with the effort of throwing her yoyo.

He saw where she anchored her yoyo to swing away. Nooroo flew in the exact opposite direction through the building and up he kept going up until he was right below a large cloud. He couldn't hear them but Cat Noir was holding Ladybug's hand keeping her from leaving. His other hand held his staff and from the open and wide gestures he made with that hand, Nooroo could tell he was very upset. Ladybug shook him off and crossed her arms, she looked down _she seems guarded. _Nooroo thought to himself. Ladybug probably said something and then swung away. _Poor kids. That is the way with Plagg and Tikki isn't it? _Nooroo thought as he followed Ladybug.

He made sure he wasn't seen, going up into the clouds when he suspected he'd be spotted. He kept his distance not getting any closer than fifty feet. _If I wasn't following Ladybug this would be so much fun. I don't remember the last time I flew this hard! _Nooroo smiled to himself.

Ladybug stopped at a bakery of all places. There was a veranda on the top floor. Nooroo hid in the foliage of a tall tree across the street. He could see her from the waist up. Ladybug glanced around her to be sure she wouldn't be seen. Her mouth moved but he couldn't hear her. _Spots off, most likely? _Nooroo thought to himself then nodded because after Ladybug's mouth moved she turned into a normal girl. Blue eyes, blue pigtails, fair clear skin, small frame, and a heart-shaped face. He watched this girl go inside, Tikki followed. He so badly wanted to greet her. He hated himself for what he was doing.

Nooroo waited an hour _I'm the scum of this world. My friends will never forgive me for this. S_imilar thoughts to this flooded his mind and overflowed his eyes as he waited for the girl to leave. One after one he wiped each bitter tear away.

The girl left the bakery on the bottom floor to go towards downtown. Nooroo fluttered to where the girl was and phased into her room through the window. _A lot of pictures of the Master's son. _Seeing this girl's obsession helped Nooroo forget for a moment how heavy his heartfelt. If he had his voice he'd let out a wry laugh.

Nooroo checked her desk and found a sketchbook. He opened it up and saw beautiful clothing designs. along with some cartoony doodles of Master's son, some of the better ones were crossed out. The other eye wasn't quite right. _Master could probably learn a thing or two from this girl. From her designs at least. _He lightly smacked himself. _I can't tell him that I have to be careful. _Nooroo checked the front page and saw "_If Found Please Return to Marinette Dupain-Cheng"_ then a phone number and what he assumed to be the address to the bakery. Nooroo had what he needed. The sun was setting and he flew back to his master at a more leisurely pace than when he was chasing Marinette. He repeated her name in his head to drown out the returning flow of self-hatred.

…..

Gabriel snapped and Nooroo's mouth returned. "Master, Ladybug's identity is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Excellent work Nooroo." Gabriel held out the other half piece of cheesecake that Nooroo didn't eat earlier. He accepted it from his Master but couldn't bring himself to eat it.


	3. Girl Talk

_Previously on Found Out:_

_She moved her foot to go up the stairs to her seat and tripped on her shoelace falling up the stairs. Her face hit smack into one of the carpeted stairs. "ow…" Marinette whispered.  
…_

_Gabriel snapped and Nooroo's mouth returned. "Master, Ladybug's identity is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."_

_"Excellent work Nooroo." Gabriel held out the other half piece of cheesecake that Nooroo didn't eat earlier. He accepted it from his Master but couldn't bring himself to eat it._

We Continue

…..Adrien….

He got up bright and early, brushed his teeth and got ready for another day of school. Adrien looked in the mirror and saw parts of his father in his own features. He tightened his fist. His heart hurt more than most days. The sun was shining but he didn't feel it.

"Morning Adrien!" Plagg yawned.

"Hey, Plagg." Adrien greeted. Adrien thought for a moment then decided to ask. _He's been around a lot longer than I have. Maybe he has some insights that I wouldn't think of. No.. Plagg would sooner talk about food than give any good advice. _But he wanted to venture, and ask anyway. "Plagg, do you think I should give up on Father? On him spending time with me I mean?"

"Do you think I should give up cheese? I've been thinking about losing weight." Plagg grabbed his little stomach.

"Plagg I'm serious." Adrien almost attempted a humoring smile but he couldn't bring himself to fake it. What resulted was something in-between a smile and a grimace.

"I don't think you should stop loving him, he is your dad. But I don't know more than that kid. I'm not good at all the emotional stuff. If you wanted a Kwami that's good at giving advice you should have asked for Tikki. She's amazing at it!" Plagg spun in a little circle. _I'll keep that in mind at least. It's alright Plagg, I'll ask around._

"Whose Tikki? Your girlfriend?" Adrien teased. He smirked, while he checked his messy room for his last couple of textbooks.

"I could never leave my one true love camembert! Tikki's Ladybug's Kwami." Plagg replied. Adrien found his books under a throw blanket on his sofa and shoved them into his backpack. He turned around and saw Plagg lounging in mid-air.

"Come on Plagg we've got a long day." Adrien said with a sigh. He was wearing khaki cargo pants today. They were supposedly back in fashion. He didn't care that much but he found them more comfortable and practical than his standard skinny jeans. Plagg glided into the pocket on Adrien's left thigh. _Plagg seems to like them too. _

Adrien closed his bedroom door and headed out. The halls where empty. Not even Nathalie was there to say good morning. Adrien made a quick sandwich for breakfast and went out to the car to be driven to school. To his surprise, Adrien's father was seated in the driver's seat.

"Father? …You're driving me to school?" Adrien was completely shocked, his father hated driving, not to mention he was so busy all the time. _This has to still be a dream._

"Yes, Adrien. I've had time to reflect, and I realize now that you're still so young…" They both sensed it. _I won't be young forever. _Adrien thought."So I thought it would be best to spend a bit of time with my son when I can." Gabriel gave a similar smile as he did during dinner last night. His eyes were saddened, but, the corners of his mouth curved upward.

_I still can't believe it. This is completely out of left field. _Adrien thought as he got into the car. Plagg looked at him from his pocket as if to say here's-your-wish.

Gabriel drove. Both were at a loss for words for the first few minutes. Then Gabriel broke the silence, "So, Adrien… which class is your favorite?"

Adrien cleared his throat. "I like all of them a lot. My favorite would have to be homeroom though, I get to sit by my friends." Adrien relaxed a little. _Was I really that tense? _He stretched his neck and shoulders out. He brought the memory into the forefront of his mind and laughed before continuing. "Yesterday this funny girl Marinette tripped up the stairs. I've never seen that happen before. I hope she's okay."

Gabriel's body grew more relaxed as well but his face went stiff and illegible. "Do you like this girl?"

Adrien tapped his knee with his left hand rhythmically like playing the piano. "No. She's just a great friend. She's silly, endearing, and usually means well." Adrien thought to change the subject away from girls. "Nino is a great friend too, he's cool and relaxing to hang out with."

"Are there any girls you do like? I was only a little older than you when I met your mother." Gabriel smiled as he said this. Adrien was stunned, he forgot the last time his father actually smiled with love and joy in his eyes.

Adrien cleared his throat again, he wished he had water, he'd have to wait until he got to school. His mouth felt like cotton. "Uh, do celebrity crushes count?"

"Yes, I don't see why not." Gabriel replied. He shrugged and kept his eyes on the road.

"I uh, I really like Ladybug." Adrien looked out the window, he watched the buildings and cars pass in a blur. He wiped a sweaty palm on his pants.

His Father stifled a laugh and glanced at Adrien in the rear-view mirror. "There's nothing wrong with liking her Adrien she is about your age." Gabriel pulled to a stop in front of the high school. "Please consider inviting your friends over for dinner sometime. Marianne and Nino was it?"

"Marinette." Adrien corrected. He grinned and grabbed his bag. "Goodbye, Father." There wasn't really time for Adrien to be embarrassed about his crush on Ladybug, he had to go and he hoped they both would forget about it.

"Have a nice day at school Adrien." Gabriel didn't wave but he smiled for the first time in a long time at Adrien.

…..Meanwhile: Marinette…..

Marinette bolted to school. She checked her watch. _If I keep running I _might_ be on time today! _she thought to herself. She grimaced. Marinette panted and reached the steps to school. Aliya waited as always. She winced when she saw Marinette.

"Oh… Girl, that fall did a number on your face." Aliya whispered.

"It's not that bad Aliya." Marinette pulled out her compact mirror from her backpack. She'd already seen the damage and spent half the morning trying to cover it up with makeup, nothing worked so she decided to go bare-faced. She looked at the black and blue stripe on her cheek the edges faded into green and orange. "Never mind it's horrible! What if Adrien sees! I know, I can avoid him all day long and then he won't know."

"Girl. Too late!"

Marinette followed Aliya's gaze and saw Adrien wave at her. He had just gotten out of the car and his bright green eyes beamed joy. He had the kind of smile that was contagious. She'd never seen him that happy. Marinette temporarily forgot about her bruise and she smiled and waved back. Adrien started walking towards her.

"Hi, Marinette! That looks painful I hope it doesn't hurt too bad."

She broke eye contact and covered her cheek. "It doesn't hurt that bad. I'll be okay." She looked him in the eye again. His smile melted her, she knew if she tried to talk while she looked at him she'd stumble again. Her hand fell to her side when she looked at him.

"That's good to know. By the way are you busy this weekend?"

Aliya pushed Marinette forward. She started to walk and match pace with Adrien. She wasn't paying attention enough to hear but Aliya laughed from behind her.

"No, I'm free." Marinette's smile mirrored Adrien's. _Is this it? Is he going to ask me out? _

"Good! Would you and Aliya like to come over to my house for lunch on Sunday? Father said it'd be okay if I invited my friends over. I'll invite Nino too."

Marinette's heart sank. A lump started to form in the back of her throat. She swallowed. Aliya who was matching Marinette's stride at this point was on her phone texting, someone. She looked up momentarily before hitting send. "Sorry Adrien, Nino and I are going on a trip this weekend." Aliya's voice was apologetic.

"That's alright Aliya. Thanks for telling me." Adrien's face fell momentarily but his mood picked back up again. _Wow, nothing is getting him down today! _Marinette thought. She almost continued into class with him when she felt a tap on her shoulder from Aliya.

Aliya showed Marinette her phone, she had been texting Nino, filling him in on the situation and inviting him to go camping with her, and an excited reply had just chimed in. Marinette hugged Aliya. "Thank you!" Marinette sighed. They smiled and continued on their way to class.

….Later that afternoon….

Screams of fear could be heard outside the school and the window of the chemistry room was shattered into faded blue dust. Marinette ran to the bathroom before the teacher could stop her. She checked if the other stalls were locked before transforming. Empty bathroom.

"Tikki spots on!"

Marinette transformed in an instant. She checked the mirror in her Ladybug outfit. It didn't hide her bruise well. Okay, rephrase, It didn't hide her bruise at all. _Maybe if I constantly move, no one will notice? _Marinette shrugged, she had a job to do and no smudge of blue would get in the way of that. She could hear Cat Noir quipping from outside. She couldn't tell what he was saying but she could tell by his tone it was something snarky. She left the bathroom and sighed to herself.

…..Adrien….

"Welcome back M'lady!" Cat Noir looked at his beloved between dodging blasts. He couldn't help but notice the dark blue on her cheek. His eyes grew wide and he ducked behind a car. He looked at her again, he had to be sure. She moved too quickly for him to get a second look. _I'll confront her about it after the fight._

….

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She thew her lucky charm into the air. They were in a narrow alleyway. No helicopters could get a good angle and the lighting wasn't good enough to bother with a news crew. Cat Noir studded her face as she dusted her blue powdered hands. There was no mistaking it, no way around it, and no possible way to deny it. His heart picked up in speed, _I can't believe I actually know this girl! _

"Ladybug." Cat Noir kept a respectful distance away but he so badly wanted to reach out and hug her. Sunlight peaked over a building showing off an iridescence to her blue hair and bringing catchlights to her steely-blue eyes, blue powder hung in the air. He could see the brighter daylight and cobblestone behind her. He took a picture in his mind of this moment. He finally knew who it was he had been in love with all this time. He'd need time to process, but he knew at that moment he didn't have it. She smirked when she met his gaze, likely expecting another attempt at flirting.

"You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng."


	4. Recovery

_Previously in Found Out:_

_Adrien tapped his knee with his left hand rhythmically like playing the piano. "No. She's just a great friend. She's silly, endearing, and usually means well."_

_…_

_Marinette had already seen the damage and spent half the morning trying to cover it up with makeup, nothing worked so she decided to go bare-faced._

_…_

_Adrien finally knew who it was he had been in love with all this time. She smirked when she met his gaze, likely expecting another attempt at flirting._

_"You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng."_

We continue

…..Marinette…..

She laid awake all night. She didn't want to wake her parents on the floor below with her pacing, but, nothing relaxed her. She tossed, turned, cried and kept reliving what happened.

_"No. Who's Marinette?" I say, waving my hands frantically. Cat Noir walks in a slow circle around me. Was he always so tall? He has his thumb and index finger holding his chin, feigning thoughtfulness, as he inspects me up and down. He's resting his gaze on my face, his eyes burry deep into mine._

_"You can't lie to me bugaboo."_

_"I—" I start but my miraculous beeps at me starting the five-minute countdown. I instinctively move to cover my ears. Cat Noir stops my hand with his own. He's smiling, his face is in my face, and his nose is nearly touching mine. He radiates heat and smells like leather and the slightest touch of cologne. He turns to my ear and whispers._

_"Go, I promise I won't tell anyone."_

_My heart jumps to my throat. Tears blur my vision. 'That's not the point' I want to say, but I can't bring myself to let my voice break. He looks at me again. I can tell by the frequency of the beeping that there are three minutes left. Cat Noir's brows rise. He lets out a quiet gasp. He puts a hand on my shoulder and meets my eyes. I try to look away. I can't handle this. There's no way. How did he—_

_"M'lady. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Please, can we talk about this?" He takes hold of my hand and squeezes it. It isn't the first time._

_I swallow. Grabbing my yoyo I move to take off. He lets go of my hand, for the first time in a while Cat Noir doesn't fight me he doesn't pull me back he just lets go. "See you later." My voice broke and I couldn't keep the tears in any longer._

"Tikki?" Marinette called out. Her eyes were red and puffy, her throat hurt and she'd long since cried all the tears her eyes could make.

Tikki was sound asleep, she didn't seem worried at all. Marinette gently pat Tikki's head.

"Hm?" Tikki's little voice sounded.

"What if Hawkmoth gets me? Or my parents? Or Adrien? Or Aliya? What if everyone I love is in danger all because I was a klutz?" Marinette rasped. She ran a harsh along her cheek and winced. She hoped doing so would make it all go away. But the pain just reminded her that it was real. The _whole_ thing actually happened.

Tikki was all the way awake now. She smiled and fluttered in front of Marinette. "Take a few deep breaths with me Marinette." They breathed in, out, for about five minutes.

"I have a story for you, I hope it'll calm you down. Wanna hear it?"

Marinette nodded and watched her kwami surprised at how eager she was to listen. _Anything to take my mind off of all this. _she thought.

"Long ago, long before cars like you know them, and cell-phones. I was assigned to a different Ladybug. She was so sweet and had such a gentle spirit. She didn't talk to me much but she only ever had nice things to say when she did.

"Her name was Haru. She worked really hard at a newspaper. There was this one man named James, that had eyes for her. Hehe, he smelled a little bit like camembert, but she never seemed to notice him. When Haru was Ladybug she wouldn't tell me out-right but I could tell by the way she looked at him that she was in love with her Cat Noir. I could feel her ears warm up and hear her heart beat fast. They fought like they were dancing. It was like nothing you've ever seen Marinette. Like they were one unit, like one body. I could feel it, that her Cat Noir loved her too. But he was a stickler for the rules, like you, he didn't want her to know his identity or for him to know hers. He'd always run away before Haru could find out. In a lot of ways it really was for both their safety.

"One day she asked me if I knew Cat Noir's identity. I suspected it was James. But I didn't believe that was enough to tell her. She could tell I was hiding something so I did eventually tell her who I thought it _might_ be. I told her Plagg's, Cat Noir's kwami's favorite food and about James. When she went to work the next day she didn't confront James about it, but I saw her pay more attention to him. She smiled at him and that was enough to make him blush.

"When they fought crime that night there was a different energy something more electric. She confronted him about his identity. He was angry at her, and me. He was more angry with me. Before he could leave she told him her identity, then he stayed. He didn't believe her. They both sat in an alley and transformed back. I could feel Haru's heart racing. When I came to he yelled at me, he made me swear for the rest of my life that I never reveal another Cat Noir's identity. They argued about it for a while.

"Tikki? How is this supposed to help me feel better?" Marinette blinked up at her. She let out a yawn and checked the clock. 2 AM. She swiftly returned her attention back to Tikki.

"Hehe, I'm getting to that. When they were done arguing and talking it all out. It took some time to build up trust in each other again. It took a bit longer before Haru would talk with me again. But she did. Eventually.

"Soon enough, they got into a relationship. They were crazy for each other, his secrets where hers and her's where his. They held nothing back and didn't tell anyone."

"Did they live happily ever after fighting crime?" Marinette held her blanket close to her chest like a little kid. Tikki could almost see the hearts in her eyes.

"For a long time, yes. No matter what happened they looked out for each other. They got married and had a family. At one point a mobster found out about Haru and kidnapped her. They took her miraculous and tortured her, they did every horrible thing they could think to do to get her to give up Cat Noir. She wouldn't budge. Cat Noir showed up before they could hurt her more. He destroyed them and brought us home. That wasn't the only time one of them was found out, but they took more and more precautions each time. And every time after they fought stronger, they trained harder and prevented a lot of harm.

"They were great heroes Marinette, and they were always stronger together. They couldn't always prevent the bad things from happening but they stayed determined and never gave up on each other."

Tikki looked back down at Marinette, her eyes where half-closed "Thank you… Tikki." She murmured. Seconds later she was snoring. Tikki grinned and curled herself up on Marinette's pillow. "You're welcome Marinette."

…..Adrien…..

He leapt onto the patio on the second floor, transformed back, and grabbed his backpack. His facial expression was indeterminate as he ran towards the glass door. He bolted through the empty sitting room, down the hallway and closed his bedroom door behind him.

"That was a little reckless kid. You could have woken somebody." Plagg called. He sped through the air and phased into the cupboard by Adrien's desk to get at his stash of camembert. Now that Adrien was behind closed doors he let himself smile, like really smile.

"Who cares. I can't believe I know who Ladybug is!" Adrien fell backward on his bed. Marinette's crying face popped into his head, and his smile wavered. "I just can't believe it's Marinette." He thought of all the times they'd hung out together in and out of costume. When they went to the movies and Marinette was in her PJs. The photo Aliya took of their alters kissing. That time when he gave her the charm he made on that spring night.

"You sure she's _just a friend _kid?" Plagg popped his head out of the cupboard and narrowed his eyes at Adrien.

Adrien ruffled his hair. Maybe he only liked Ladybug because of the confidence, and feistiness she showed. Maybe he friend-zoned Marinette because he didn't want to see the resemblance. Or because she never said more than a few words to him. Or maybe it was the first day they met, she seemed so distant and angry. "I don't know anymore Plagg. I just hope she doesn't hate me."

"Ha, she doesn't. She might be upset right now but she'll get over it."

"How can you be so sure?" Adrien propped himself up on his elbow to get a better look at Plagg.

"I've seen this happen before." Plagg took a huge bite of cheese.

"Seen what? A Ladybug's identity found out."

"Something like that. Please don't make me tell the story." Plagg ate another slice of cheese. He patted his stomach, full, and flew over to a little red bean-bag on Adrien's nightstand. Plagg kneaded the bag, turned it a circle and curled up into a little ball.

"You're no fun Plagg." Adrien put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "It ended up okay?"

Plagg yawned. "Yeah, they were fine. Ladybug'll bounce back."

_I wish I knew what she was thinking. I'll ask her tomorrow. Will she talk to me? Or Cat Noir? Would she even be happy with the real me?_ That thought kept him up for most of the night.

…..Nooroo…..

His little form hovered by the corner of Adrien's floor to ceiling window. He panted a bit. Cat Noir was much faster than Ladybug. _He had more of an emotional reason to be._ Nooroo held himself in the shadow. Silent and unseen. _Master won't be happy about this. _Nooroo phased up to the third floor. His master stood admiring the painting of his wife. Nooroo didn't speak, not because he couldn't he simply didn't want to. He flew to his master's side so he could see Nooroo in his peripheral.

"What news do you have for me Nooroo?"

"Nothing good, Master."

_Next Time in Found Out:_

_"Tikki? What do you think I should wear? Lunch with Adrien is today!"_

_…_

This is it. _he thought. "Marinette. I know who you are."_


	5. Witches Cottage

_Previously in Found Out:_

_"Want to come over to my place for lunch on Sunday?" Adrien asked Marinette_

_…_

_"What if Hawkmoth gets me? Or my parents? Or Adrien? Or Aliya? What if everyone I love is in danger all because I was a klutz?" Marinette rasped._

…

_"They were always stronger together. They couldn't always prevent the bad things from happening but they stayed determined and never gave up on each other." Tikki said with a dreamy and determined look mixed on her face._

_…_

_"You sure she's _just a friend_ kid?" Plagg called out from the cupboard._

_…_

_Nooroo's little form hovered by the corner of Adrien's floor to ceiling window. He panted a bit. Cat Noir was much faster than Ladybug. _

We continue

…..Marinette.…Saturday…..

She woke up to another peaceful morning. She got up on time and got ready on time, for once. She wondered how long she'd be able to keep the habit up. _No akuma the day before yesterday._ Marinette put on her shirt. _No akuma yesterday._ She pulled a pair of pants from her drawer and put them on. "What do you think could be going on with Hawkmoth Tikki?"

"Maybe he lost his miraculous? Either way, if today is another good day you should enjoy it Marinette." Tikki said.

Marinette couldn't fight the worry on her face. She checked on her battle wound with her worst nemesis. Stairs. It was starting to yellow now, she briefly smiled. _Maybe it'll be all better by tomorrow. _She thought.

Hawkmoth never took days off. There was always someone who had a bad day. She wanted someone to talk to, someone who understood what she's going through. Other than Tikki. She got even more worried when she thought of Cat Noir. Her heart pounded. Of all the things that happened. What stuck out to her in these recent days was his closeness. He could have kissed her. She blushed. _If only it was Adrien instead of Cat Noir._ She gave one last glance at one of the many pictures of Adrien hanging in her room. Her heart kept its fast pace when she looked at him. She absently grabbed some books from her desk and put them into her backpack. _If I patrol the city today will something happen_? _Won't it be too dangerous to do patrol because if Cat Noir figured it out then someone else must have too?_ She looked at Tikki. Her warm little smile never faltered. She always had so much faith in Marinette. She put on her clutch then her backpack. _If Haru could stay determined during all that. Then I can too!_

"Come on Tikki, it's time for school."

Marinette put earbuds in as she walked to school. The other end was in her clutch with Tikki. She only did this so others wouldn't suspect anything. Just a normal girl talking on her phone. Marinette could hear Tikki through her earrings. Tikki explained how it all worked once before but it didn't really stick for Marinette.

"What should I do about the cat? When I see him again."

"Well, how do you feel about him?"

"I know he's in love with me. But I can't return his feelings because I'm in love with Adrien." She tried to say this quietly.

"Marinette. How do you feel about Cat Noir?" Tikki's voice came out as a whisper.

"He's funny. But in the way that makes your eyes roll. He's really tall. Like he's grown a lot in the past few months. He's a good person. Uh, cat." No one was looking at her or even cared to notice he slip up. She checked her watch, she had 15 minutes. Plenty of time. "He's charming and witty. I can tell he really loves being a superher—a cat. It's complicated Tiffany. I don't think I have a big enough heart to adopt this cat." Marinette hoped that metaphor worked. 'Tiffany' sighed a little before replying.

"You have the biggest heart I know Marinette. When you see him again just talk with him. Maybe go somewhere out of town?"

"I'll try Tiffany. Today. Thank you." Marinette added. She clicked the button on her earbuds. Pretending to end the call. She took them out of her ears and put them into her backpack. She didn't want Tikki to have to be next to them, even for half the day. She imagined herself that small next to giant earbuds that may or may not be dirty. She shivered in disgust. _No way! I'm treating Tikki right as long as she's my kwami! _

"Who's Tiffany?" Aliya asked her expression quizzical and expecting. Aliya was only five feet away when Marinette ended her call.

"She's a pen-pal from the states. I wanted to brush up on my English and she wanted to brush up on her French. She's quite a bit older than me and really good at giving advice." Marinette found it easier to lie when there where some truths to what she was saying.

"You called your pen-pal?" Aliya raised an eyebrow.

"Well yeah! There's only so much you can learn from reading and writing in another language." Marinette was a little frantic.

"Well, that's true." Aliya hooked her arm with Marinette's "Come on girl, let's go to class."

…..Adrien…..

Gabriel drove Adrien to school in silence. Somberness hung in the air like an unwanted corpse from a rope. His father's expression was more grim and serious than usual as he drove. His brows were knit tightly together and his lips were pinched down.

"Did something happen Father?" Adrien asked. He looked up at Gabriel's reflection through the rear-view mirror.

"No. Nothing's the matter son. I—I just miss your mother is all." Gabriel replied. His expression didn't change. Adrien had seen his father heartsick for his mother before but this was different. This wasn't the same kind of sadness at all.

Something about this felt horribly wrong, Adrien could feel it in the pit of his stomach his father was lying. He forced himself to say "I miss her too." It wasn't a lie but he really didn't want to talk. Adrien turned to look out the window. He could see his face pale a few shades in the transparent reflection. Adrien's heart thudded in his chest it was all he could hear, even over the engine of the car. _Why am I acting this way? Nothing's wrong. Everything is totally normal. So what if he's a little sad today. Anyone would be. _

He took a quiet deep breath to calm himself down. He tried to think about something else as he took each soothing breath. _What should I say to Marinette?_ He closed his eyes. _Hey Marinette. I'm Cat Noir! _He pictured himself striking the pose he usually did after he transformed into Cat Noir. Marinette laughing at him was the logical conclusion his mind jumped to in that scenario. He shook his head and opened his eyes. Even in his mind, Marinette's grin was contagious. A smile flashed across his face and faded just as quickly. _There's no way that would work._ They were stuck at a stop light. He closed his eyes again. He felt the car lurch forward, the light probably turned green again. _Hey Marinette can we talk? _That seemed like a better approach. He nodded to himself and felt more confident about the events about to transpire. That'd probably make her nervous but it really did seem like the best thing to do. The next question was when would he talk to her? Today was a half-day so after lunch would seem like a good opportunity. His heart picked up speed eagerness and optimism spun within him as the car slowed to a stop again. Adrien opened his eyes and saw the stairs leading up to school.

He looked back at his father in the mirror. "Have a good day at school Adrien." His father's voice was monotone. His eyes looked dead.

"Thank you for driving me to school. I hope you have a good day too, Father." Adrien's voice wavered and cracked near the end. He cleared his throat and popped open the car door. His bag hung on one shoulder. He pushed the door shut behind him.

….Marinette…..

She sat at her desk. The whole feeling of being on time was surreal. Adrien walked through the door with five minutes to spare. He smiled at her. Something about him was different he had more of a glow to him, a fondness that she'd never seen him look at her with before. Somehow she recognized that look. She'd seen it before but couldn't remember when.

"Marinette? Can I talk to you after lunch?"

She found herself nodding but quickly snapped out of it. She needed to talk to Cat Noir.

"No, I'm really sorry Adrien I have an— appointment after lunch today." Her face felt hot she was sure she was blushing red, not pink.

Surprise colored Adrien's expression followed by a warm smile. "Where is your appointment? I could meet you after."

"Oh you don't have to I don't want to inconvenience you it's at a little cottage outside the city." Marinette's left hand was behind her head and she found herself waving dismissively with her other hand.

"Doesn't sound like a problem I'll see you after your appointment."

Classes passed in a blur. Marinette forced food down at lunch but didn't pay attention to what it was. Aliya tried to get her attention and occasionally she'd get snap back into the moment but she'd fall back into her thoughts again.

Once the final bell rang Marinette went home to drop off her bag and transformed into Ladybug. She went back and passed the school. She passed the Agreste household. Guilt shot through her but she kept going. She'd see him tomorrow for lunch. If she kept going she'd be out of France in the next twenty minutes. The buildings started to get smaller and more difficult to swing from. She'd have to walk. Ladybug heard footsteps behind her a few seconds after she landed, followed by what she recognized to be a staff spinning through the air. Their footsteps crunched on the dirt and gravel road. Ladybug turned and started walking backward. She wasn't surprised to see Cat Noir following her. She smiled then turned back around.

"Was this the appointment you had in mind m' lady?"

"How did you know? Wait. I don't want to know. You can know who I am but I don't want to know who you are. Not yet."

"Race you to the witches cottage!" Cat Noir taunted. He vaulted forward fifty feet and landed about ten feet away from the cottage entrance. He walked at a leisurely pace. There was nothing for Ladybug to anchor onto to swing ahead of him that was in the direct path to the cottage. She decided on the next best thing. She spun her yoyo and it swirled once around Cat Noir's waist and Ladybug pulled herself towards him. The sudden pull made Cat Noir dig his staff into the ground and brace for impact. She let go of him when she was three feet away and let the momentum of the carry her the rest of the way to the door. "There aren't witches here. That's just something kids made up."

He stood stunned a little from the force of her pulling on him. He rubbed his midsection then pulled his staff out of the dirt, flecks of gravel bounced when he did so.

"Thanks, kitty!" She giggled, opened the door and headed inside.

"Most un-purr-dictable m' lady." Cat Noir could clearly hear her scoff as he jogged his way up to the door.

Ladybug blocked him from going in through the door. "Try a better pun kitty." There it was again that same expression of fondness and warmth that Adrien had that morning at school. Cat Noir had always looked at her that way. Her eyes grew wide with surprise and shock. She dismissed the thought from her head. _There's no way. They're way too different to be the same person. _She cleared her head of the passing thought.

"There's something I never told you m' lady." Cat Noir bowed and looked up at her.

"And what would that be?"

"Cat puns freak MEOW-t." Cat Noir didn't laugh but he did smile. Ladybug rolled her eyes and stifled a giggle. She thought she was clever enough to make it sound like another scoff what came out was a strange combination between the two, more like a snort-giggle. She left the entrance. Mildew and dust filled their lungs as they entered. Ladybug and sat in the middle of the hardwood floor. The cottage was so dilapidated that there was a built-in skylight that didn't use to be there.

Cat Noir sat in front of her crosslegged.

Ladybug knew without a doubt that her hands were wet with sweat under her gloves. She couldn't settle into a comfortable position to sit in. For once she was grateful for all his puns and jokes. It really helped to calm her nerves.

"Cat Noir. I need you to promise me something."

"Anything m' lady!" Cat Noir's expression was as radiant as the sunlight beating down on them. Ladybug couldn't help but return it albeit not with the same enthusiasm.

"Promise me you'll never tell anyone you know who I am. Promise me that you won't visit me in costume or come to my house in costume." She kept her voice level. Ladybug had settled herself into a fetal position. Her knees were under her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. Cat Noir's hand twitched like he wanted to reach out and comfort her. She saw him cover his hand and stroke the back of his palm with his thumb nervously.

"I swear. I'll never tell a soul. I'll never visit you unless your life is in danger. I promise, Ladybug."

Ladybug's throat tightened. Relief washed over her and she couldn't hold it back anymore. She held out her hand in front of her face to find it shaking and her vision blurred. Cat Noir sat openly. His left knee was up and his right was flush with the ground. He didn't want to intrude. He'd been rejected from touching her so many times. His hands were to either side of him keeping his body propped upright. He glanced at her concerned.

Ladybug walked on her knees towards him. He was a blur of black and blonde. She couldn't see the surprise on his face when she wrapped her arms around him. Or the warmth in his eyes when he held her. Her voice intermingled with laughter and croaking sobs. To Ladybug's memory, this was the first time she'd fully let her guard down around him. The first time she'd intentionally hugged him. And the first time she'd let herself cry in front of anyone aside from her parents.


	6. The Morning Of

_Previously on Found Out:_

_Hawkmoth never took days off. There was always someone who had a bad day. She wanted someone to talk to, someone who understood what she's going through._

_…_

_Something about this felt horribly wrong, Adrien could feel it in the pit of his stomach his father was lying._

_…_

_The next question was when would he talk to her? Today was a half-day so after lunch would seem like a good opportunity._

_…_

_Something about him was different he had more of a glow to him, a fondness that she'd never seen him look at her with before._

_…_

_The first time she'd intentionally hugged him. And the first time she'd let herself cry in front of anyone aside from her parents._

We continue

…..Cat Noir…..

His heart wouldn't go slower than a mile a minute. A million thoughts were racing through his head. All the things he wanted to say. _I love you. Please don't cry I've got you. I like seeing this vulnerable side to you m'lady I do miss your purr-fect_ _smile. _How badly he wanted to say 'claws in' and reveal his identity. How badly he wanted to kiss her. But he stayed silent. He held her tight. Cat Noir had no interest in letting her go. She felt so small and cold in his arms. Unconsciously his hand stroked her shoulder and down her arm then back up again trying to warm her up. He cleared his head of the thoughts bouncing in his mind and took a deep breath.

"Marin—uh, Ladybug?"

She breathed deeply trying to calm herself down but couldn't bring herself to get up.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have… feelings for me?" He immediately regretted asking that question and felt stupidity and rejection sting within him preemptively. The moment he asked she moved and sat back on her legs to look at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and he could guess without the mask they'd be puffy. His stomach dropped. She wasn't nodding 'yes' and falling back into his arms. But she wasn't shaking her head 'no' right away either.

"It's complicated." she looked at the ground. Like she had so many times before as Marinette.

There were a few tears still rolling down her face, he wanted to wipe them off but hesitated. He tried to keep his expression neutral. For all his charm and play, he really had no idea what to do in these kinds of situations. Dates, sure. Sweeping a girl off her feet was one thing but he barely received any comfort at home when he was sad. He tried to remember what his mother did when he was four. He reached a handout and wiped off a tear from her left cheek. His touch was gentle like he was touching a rose petal that would rip if he breathed on it. She blushed and turned her face away from him.

"I understand m' lady." Begrudgingly he scooted himself away from her. He took a picture in his mind of her somewhat pained expression as he moved away. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"No." Ladybug composed herself and dried off the remaining tears. "I'm worried about Hawkmoth. He hasn't been active in the past few days." Her voice sounded raw and ragged like she was holding so much back before.

"What's wrong with a little break bugaboo?" Cat Noir shrugged dismissively. Trying to lighten the mood.

Ladybug cleared her throat. "What's wrong is if you were able to figure out who I am then, he could have too. I'm sure he's planning something."

Cat Noir almost said 'you worry too much' but if he was in her place he'd likely worry about it too. "Hmm. We could try to prove that you're not Marinette."

"How?"

"By getting a double." He smiled knowingly at her. He hoped the girl he was thinking of would be willing to help.

…..Marinette: The Following Day…..

"Tikki? What do you think I should wear? The Lunch with Adrien is today!" Marinette had four outfits cluttering her desk she paced the room frantically searching for her hairbrush only to realize it was in her hand. She checked herself in the mirror she looked like death, her eyes were dark, baggy, and sunken. Her left cheek was no better than yesterday. She decided she would make the attempt with makeup at the very least to cover up her raccoon eyes. She collected up her hair into a bun it looked like a tidy bird's nest on top of her head, well as tidy as bird nests could be. Marinette soaked her blending sponge with liquid foundation and started to blot the pale liquid onto her face.

_I couldn't stop thinking about the lunch with Adrien last night._ She also couldn't stop thinking about Cat Noir. She put on concealer heavily under her eyes and on her cheek and proceeded to blend it out with the same sponge.

He held her firmly like he wanted to protect her from any danger that could possibly come their way. The sunlight made him so warm and crying so much made her blood go cold. She thought of his warm scent. He smelled like home. Okay home smelled like a bakery and he smelled like leather, but, he felt safe and being wrapped up in him felt right. She hated that she felt that way. She thought she was in love with Adrien. Her mind would drift to him instead. The idea of him holding her that way spiraled into various directions. Him holding her like she'd seen in bridal magazines or holding her face to kiss her and tell her she mattered more than anyone to him. She applied mascara. She likely wouldn't need to apply blush if she was going to see Adrien.

If she wasn't thinking of Cat Noir she was thinking of Adrien, and if she wasn't thinking of Adrien it was Cat Noir who'd pounce once more into her mind. Her heart beat at the same quick rate for both of them. She surveyed her face, she could still see a slightly faded smudge of blue underneath the heavy layers of makeup but other than that she looked bright, awake and happy like she didn't spend half the night stressing out about boys.

"I think you should wear this one Marinette!" Tikki called from behind her.

….

Marinette tugged at the leather strap of her clutch. She felt like she was walking up to the Agreste mansion for the first time. It was so much bigger and more ominous looking even in broad daylight. Disregarding her best attempts to quell it, the hummingbird racing through her chest and stomach wouldn't settle down. Thumpthumpthumpthump. She could feel each wingbeat patter in her chest. Shaky step after shaky step she didn't know if she'd even make it to the front door.

"You can do it Marinette! You made it past the gate. You can make it to the door!" Tikki's voice rang like a song in Marinette's ears. She gingerly petted the bag and with newfound determination, she continued forward in quick confident steps.

"Welcome, Marinette," Nathalie greeted. A little smile played on her lips. "Adrien will be down shortly." The heavy door slammed shut.

….

She waited patiently in the sitting room. She kicked her legs repeatedly fluffing out her knee-length-skirt and then letting it settle. Nathalie looked at her gently, as if to say _Young ladies don't do that._ Marinette stopped, plastered on a smile that was so quickly replaced by anxiety and settled on examining the paintings in the sitting room. The few pieces that stood out seemed to be of Adrien's mother. She tried not to take notice of Nathalie's eyes probing her face. Nathalie's mouth opened then closed again. Marinette looked at her and smiled, a real one that didn't fade as quickly. That seemed to be enough.

"Marinette. I work with men all day long, and I wouldn't mind spending a bit of time with another girl. And since it seems like Adrien is taking a while to get ready, how would you like it if I gave you a little make-over?" Nathalie smiled warmly. The expression looked so unnatural on her like she'd been hiding that she even could smile for a long time, it made her look ten years younger.

Marinette didn't think too hard about the unease she felt but hesitated to say yes right away just the same. Tikki's voice whispered in her ear. "You should do it. It'll be okay."

"Okay. Yeah, that sounds like fun!" Marinette replied.

…..Adrien: That Morning…..

He burst awake bright and early. He didn't have much to do but couldn't help but smile as he got ready. Hope, excitement, and sheer joy flooded through him. He got dressed and left his room for breakfast.

"Adrien you must get your studies done before lunch today if you're going to have a friend over." Nathalie repeated orders from Adrien's father robotically. Little tenderness was felt in her voice.

Her coldness didn't seem to bother Adrien. He tried to keep his face plain. Adrien didn't want Nathalie to notice his excitement, she might tell his father and somehow he'd never be able to meet with Marinette again. There was only so much he could do about his mouth. A grin kept threatening to spread over his face and fighting this urge resulted in the corners of his mouth twitching. "Yes, Nathalie. Thank you."

Nathalie looked at Adrien with an upturned brow. She decided not to push anything. "Make sure you eat that banana. You don't want to be twitching during lunch."

"Yes, Nathalie."

….

Chinese homework. One hour. School homework. Fifty minutes. Scheduling photo shoots around his class schedule. Another hour. All that was left was Piano practice for an hour. Adrien sighed and stretched. His watch read 10:55. He almost didn't have time. He might be cutting it close but if he sat at the Piano immediately he'd have just enough time to get ready.

His instructor insisted Adrien arpeggiate through nearly an entire song with both hands. Rather than just his right while his left-hand played harmonizing chords. His instructor said it helped with doing classic impressionistic pieces. Each attempt with his left hand felt so foreign and resulted in clashing notes. His right hand played the melody immediately and his left fumbled with every other note, especially with this particular arpeggiation pattern. Adrien glanced at Plagg for support. When there wasn't much to do Plagg mostly just slept on his little red bean bag. _Kinda like having a normal cat. _He returned to his work on the Piano.

His mind kept drifting back to yesterday. _Why didn't you just kiss her? You couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. _He thought to himself. Thoughts like this weren't making practicing any easier. He set his right hand on his lap and worked with his left hand on the piano. _It wouldn't have been right. She would have hated me after. _He argued. His mind cycled back and forth in an unending debate. It all hummed and simmered in the back of his mind. Each time it threatened to boil over he'd focus harder on his practice and try to stay in the moment as best he could. Then the arguing would fade again.Just as he felt he was starting to get it and enjoy the piece he heard the front door slam shut. He checked his watch he had practiced for forty-five minutes and had time to keep working on this music. He absorbed himself back into it.

Adrien checked his watch again and it read 11:55. He cursed and sprinted for the bathroom to get ready, and almost tripped over the Piano bench.

…..Marinette….

Nathalie had her facing away from the mirror so she couldn't peek. She took careful steps to wipe off all the layers of Marinette's foundation and concealer. Her hair was wrapped into the biggest curlers Marinette had ever seen.

She sat barefaced as Nathalie studded the nearly empty canvas she had to work with. Nathalie grabbed the various wipes and cotton swabs she'd used to get all of Marinette's makeup off. "You have such a sweet face." She tossed the trash into the bin and took a closer look at her ears. "I didn't realize your ears were pierced. Those earrings are very subtle. Where did you get them?"

Marinette, unsure how to take that comment, "Thank you very much miss Nathalie. My earrings were a gift from a very dear friend." Marinette wasn't too surprised to be asked about her earrings her parents noticed right away.

"And gifts like those are nearly impossible to part with. I have a broach that holds special importance for me as well." Nathalie gave a soft smile. "I will return shortly it seems I'll need to get a different foundation for your lovely skin, please wait here."

…..Nathalie…..

"Sir? I won't be able to get her miraculous without drawing suspicion." She took a couple of breaths to regain composure, she sped up the stairs several gaits faster than a walk but not quite a jog or a run.

"That's quite alright Nathalie," Gabriel replied. He sat at his desk. With each day that passed, Gabriel looked more and more ragged. Something about finding out who Cat Noir was really upset him. He wouldn't tell her so she could take Cat Noir's miraculous and help him. Gabriel was so much more withdrawn than he had been before.

"I could lock her up and take them from her." Nathalie blurted.

"No. Nathalie." Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. His glasses were off. She stood where she was. "I have a plan. Make sure they stay downstairs in the dining room. I'll be down momentarily." Gabriel looked up at her. He looked so tired.

"Sir? How detailed is this plan?"

"DON'T QUESTION ME NATHALIE!" Gabriel snapped.

Nathalie nodded curtly to him and left to go to her quarters to get the foundation she left for. With great effort swallowed the knot building in the back of her throat, the kind of knot that threatened tears if left unchecked. She shoved it into a bottle in the pit of her stomach.

…..Adrien…..

Adrien stumbled out of his room and straightened his jacket. He couldn't miss the giant clock in the hall. Of course, he was running late. He had two minutes to get all the way downstairs and into the dining room. _I'm not usually late this isn't like me. _Adrien knew this and made a mental note to work on being more punctual at the next opportunity.

_This is it. _He opened the frosted-glass paneled doors. His father still wasn't downstairs. He probably wouldn't have noticed if he was. Marinette was sitting at the table laughing with Nathalie, her hair wasn't in its usual pigtails. Her hair and bangs were curled into large soft spirals gently framing her face. Her makeup was iridescent silver blended into brown making her eyes glow. The sudden urge to run his fingers through her hair and undo what he assumed to be her hard work passed his mind. She turned to look at him. Her lips looked soft as they spread into a smile. He stood stunned but managed to smile back and walked towards the table. In the few years, he'd known her, Marinette never wore makeup like that.

…

The sky turned dark with swirling angry clouds. Shots of lightning hit a couple of buildings right outside the Agreste house. Adrien's father entered the room a moment later his hair slightly disheveled.

"Looks like a freak storm." Adrien said aloud. He drew the curtains and couldn't help but hear familiar cackling laughter from outside. His first instinct was to look at Marinette and gauge the room's reaction. The whole room heard it. Marinette jumped a little at the sound and Nathalie closed her eyes and smiled. His father sat at the head of the table and wore a pained smile.

"Ladybug! Cat Noir! Where _are_ you?" The voice from outside screamed.


	7. Family Follies

_Previously on Found Out:_

_I couldn't stop thinking about the lunch with Adrien last night. She also couldn't stop thinking about Cat Noir._

_…_

_He stood stunned but managed to smile back and walked towards the table. In the few years, he'd known her, Marinette never wore makeup like that._

_…_

_His father sat at the head of the table and wore a pained smile._

_"Ladybug! Cat Noir! Where are you?" The voice from outside screamed._

We Continue:

…..Gabriel…..

_He's going to do it. _His mind whispered. _He's going to put his own son in danger. _A different voice blurted in a dry tone. _No, he's going to get his wife back. _Another voice chimed. Gabriel's expression went slack. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting at the table listening to the voices narrate his life. He couldn't think clearly on when these voices started. Nathalie saw a difference in him when he found out Adrien was Cat Noir. Maybe that was the last stressful thing he could handle. The child that had consistently been eluding him and keeping him from being with his wife again. The child he thought he hated. Was his own son.

"Father!" Adrien called to get his attention. For a moment Gabriel was lucid.

"Adrien give me your ring!" He demanded. _He's going to do it now. He's going to get his wife back! _One of the voices spoke in an elated whisper.

"No." Adrien's face was stone cold, his skin paled. He looked like alabaster.

_No? Oh look he's mad!_

_Oh yes horribly mad._

_What's he going to do?_

_He's going to use Nooroo isn't he?_

_Yes, Nooroo. Use Nooroo. _The voices started to chant Nooroo's name over and over. Gabriel held his head in his hands.

"NOOROO DARK WINGS RISE!" Gabriel screamed over the chanting voices.

In an instant Gabriel was Hawkmoth, and the voices fell silent. He didn't see any expressions on the people's faces. His pupils were pinpricks in his eyes. He could only focus on his son's ring or Marinette's earrings. His gaze darted between the two.

…..Adrien…..

He didn't know what or how to feel. He just knew that his father was Hawkmoth and likely suspected their identities. Adrien rose from the table. Another strike of lightning hit a flagpole outside.

"Sit down and give me your ring Cat Noir." Hawkmoth bellowed. Hawkmoth stood on guard every muscle in his body seemed to be tensed.

Adrien looked at Marinette. Her eyes grew wide. She blushed. _Great. That really wasn't his secret to share. _Adrien shrugged at Marinette who paled several shades. Making the blush dusted on her cheeks stand out more.

"Cat's outta the bag now m' lady." Adrien quipped. A ghost of a smile played on his face. Adrien returned his gaze to his father.

"Enough games! Hand me the ring I won't ask again!" Hawkmoth almost screamed.

"Plagg claws out!"

When Adrien was Cat Noir he retorted. "What would happen if I kept saying no," Cat Noir spun his tail. "Gonna give me the belt father?" Cat Noir smirked.

…..Marinette…..

Shock shot through her as another bolt of lightning hit outside. She didn't have time to think. She got up from her chair.

"I have to use the bathroom."

"Sure. If you want to keep trying to be secret about it bugaboo. Everyone here knows who you are." Cat Noir said absently. Marinette felt woozy. She didn't know if she should feel embarrassed or terrified. So her body was throwing her into a combination of the two. Her stomach turned, her face felt hot and her hands were cold and clammy. She couldn't imagine how Tikki was feeling. She was surprisingly silent given the circumstances.

Cat Noir and Hawkmoth were staring each other down. Hawkmoth was struggling to keep his focus on Cat Noir for more than a few seconds before his gaze would fall on Marinette's earrings. It seemed as though he hadn't heard her.

"Tikki, spots on." Marinette murmured.

…

"Cat Noir. I'll handle Stormy Weather or whoever is causing all this lightening." Ladybug's voice seemed cold and business-like. She had a job to do and wasn't about to break down crying because the bad guys knew her identity. She knew theirs too but overall tried to just focus on the job at hand.

"No problem m' lady. I'll try to calm down my father."

"I'll help you when I'm done." They both said at once. They looked at each other momentarily. Nathalie was behind Ladybug, her hands almost on top of her miraculous. She had a grip on Ladybug's left earring and yanked it out when Ladybug tried to dodge out of the way.

"How are you going to do that when you're only half a hero Marinette?" Nathalie pocketed the earring. Tikki was nowhere to be seen and Marinette was just herself again. Nathalie held out her hand. "Give me the other one."

Marinette ran.

…..Cat Noir…..

He had to think quickly. Their little staring contest wouldn't last long. _I could try to take his Miraculous. No, he'll be after mine too I doubt that'll work… What would happen if I destroyed it?_

"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir held out his hand and shot his staff forward, the chair and Hawkmoth skidded backwards both pinned to the wall. The wind knocked out of Hawkmoth. He heaved and hyperventilated for a bit before speaking.

"Now Adrien is that any way to treat your father?" Hawkmoth pushed the staff away and regained his breath.

Cat Noir didn't say anything, he stayed some distance away.

"Oh, not even curious about why I want your miraculous? Why not sit and talk with me son?" Hawkmoth's composure seemed to be normal. "ARGH SILENCE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs he grabbed his head and looked at the ground. He snapped back almost immediately. "You have to give me your miraculous. It's very important." He pleaded. Hawkmoth looked like he was going to cry.

Cat Noir took a hesitant step forward. He retracted his baton and set it on the table. He grabbed a chair with the same hand he held the baton. He sat down. "Father, please stop. You're not well." Cat Noir continued to keep his hand baring the cataclysm some distance away from himself. He tried to retrace what just happened. He tried to remember where his father's kwami flew during his transformation.

"I'm doing this for your mother." Hawkmoth's face went slack. He rose from his chair with new determination. "Platinum Wind." He said.

Hawkmoth vanished. Cat Noir scanned the seemingly empty room. _He can't take my ring when I'm using Cataclysm. _He tried to calm the racing in his chest. But he knew it wouldn't slow completely. "What do you mean you're doing this for mother?"

…..Marinette…..

She raced up a flight of stairs and into a room. She could hear the brisk _clack clack clack _of Nathalie's heels after her. Marinette kept the light off and propped a chair on the door. _I can't just stay here I need to help Adrien and stop Stormy Weather. _She examined the room around her. There was a huge painting of Adrien's mother hanging in the back of the room. In a style Marinette could only discribe as impressionism. Instinct had her walking towards it. A white desk with a sketchbook laying open. She stood at the desk. Her eyes started to adjust to the dark room. There was a painting hanging askew on the other wall by the door.

_Clack clack clack. _The steps were getting louder. Marinette desperately hoped and prayed to God that Nathalie didn't see her run into this room. Marinette walked to the painting and found a cubby hole behind it and an open box with a peacock broach inside. The box looked too much like the ones Mr. Fu had loaned her. She picked up the broach and stuck it in her shirt. _Maybe you can help me._

"Hiya Mistress. Oh my, you aren't my normal Mistress. Hiya! My name is Duusu!" Her voice was softer than Tikki's and sounded at a slightly lower register.

_Clack clack clack. _The steps were right outside the door. Marinette could hear doors opening and shutting along the hallway. Marinette walked as quietly as she could to the desk and got under it. Duusu followed her.

"Duusu. I'm Marinette. Cat Noir is in trouble. How do I use your power?"

"Notaproblem Mistress! Say 'Duusu feathers up'."

"Thank you!" She plucked Duusu from the air and kissed her cheek. The door thumped and the handle rattled. Nathile sounded like she was shoving the door with her whole body. "Duusu feathers up!"

Miss Paon rose from under the desk and ran so fast she felt like she was flying. Marinette threw the chair out of the way with lightening speed and opened the door. She heard Nathalie curse as she flew passed her.

She glided all the way down the stairs and into another room. "That was amazing!" She said to herself. Marinette felt so grateful to Duusu.

She checked her fan and looked at the powers she could perform. After a minute she plucked a feather from her fan and wished on it. "Protect Cat Noir. Make him strong enough to do what he has to." Miss Paon kissed the feather and blew on it. The once white feather glowed golden and drifted lazily in the air, seemingly defying gravity it floated upwards. Her broach started to beep after a few seconds. She didn't have time to waste.

Miss Paon sprinted out of the room and ran headfirst into a panting Nathalie. Her hair was a mess and sweat dripped down her face. Nathalie tried to grab Marinette by the wrist but she easily dodged her. It was like Nathalie was going in slow motion. "Too slow!" Marinette covered her face with her fan playfully. The steady beeps rang low. She still had five minutes.

Nathile glared at her. Nathalie's whole face erupted red and hot tears welled up in her eyes.

"How dare you use the Peacock Miraculous!" Her voice splintered off into rage and sorrow.

"Don't like that huh? Why don't we trade? My earring for your Miraculous. Even the fight a little." Miss Paon fanned herself. She stood about five feet away from Nathalie.

…..Cat Noir…..

"Anyone who has the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous can get one wish." Hawkmoth's voice sounded as though there were speakers rigged at every corner of the room. "I would simply use them to bring your mother back to us!"

Cat Noir looked around the room his gaze never resting on one place for more than half a second. _His power has to wear off at some point. _"You don't know the cost of a wish like that."

"I don't care about the cost!" Hawkmoth's voice croaked.

Cat Noir looked at each chair, then left, right, ceiling, wall, door.

"Don't you want your mother back too Adrien?" Hawkmoth sounded like he was right behind him now. His power had to be wearing off. Cat Noir whipped around but saw nothing.

"Yes. But not like this. There has to be another way to bring her back." He begged to the window. The sky was still black and poured out buckets of rain.

"There is no other way." The right corner of the room said. Hawkmoth flickered in and out of sight. From the flashes that Cat Noir could see his father's head was hunched over, he clutched the sheer curtain and let them go. Cat Noir walked towards him. His Cataclysm to his side. With one final flicker Hawkmoth was visible again his hand rested on his cane. Slow high pitched beeps emanated from Hawkmoth's neck. Cat Noir lifted his cataclysm towards him.

"If you won't bring Emilie back to me then I'll do it myself." Hawkmoth lifted his cane in a flash and redirected Cat Noir's hand onto the window. It shattered into dust. Cat Noir and Hawkmoth shielded their eyes. Cat Noir looked at his ring. The smallest pad of the cat's paw started to flicker. He cursed, grabbed his baton, and left.

"Where will you go, Adrien? This is our home." Hawkmoth called from his place in the corner of the dining room. Hawkmoth started laughing. It crescendoed until Cat Noir could hear it as he ran. He stopped in the foyer. Marinette was a peacock girl and Nathalie was boiling mad.

"Claws in." Adrien said. Plagg's eyes were more than half closed. He sat on Adrien's shoulder. "Marinette we've gotta go. Now!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door.

"Not without my Miraculous." Marinette planted her feet. It felt like trying to drag a tree from its roots.

"We'll get it later we have to go NOW!" Adrien heard the dining room doors shut and slow deliberate steps coming towards the foyer. She looked at him. Nathile was walking closer. They were almost to the door.


	8. Featherhead

_Previously on Found Out:_

_In an instant Gabriel was Hawkmoth, and the voices fell silent. He could only focus on his son's ring or Marinette's earrings…_

_"Cat's outta the bag now m' lady." Adrien quipped. A ghost of a smile played on his face…_

_"Duusu. I'm Marinette. Cat Noir is in trouble. How do I use your power?"…_

_Miss Paon kissed the feather and blew on it. The once white feather glowed golden and drifted lazily in the air, seemingly defying gravity it floated upwards…._

_Adrien heard the dining room doors shut and slow deliberate steps coming towards the foyer._

We Continue:

…..Marinette…..

When Marinette saw the fear in Adrien's eyes, in a flash she was pulling him out the door and down the street. Plagg almost fell off of Adrien's shoulder. They bolted down the street and down the nearest alleyway.

"Feathers down."

…..Hawkmoth and Nathalie…..

_They escaped. _A voice whispered. _He has to go after them! _Another voice boomed. _Yes, he has to or he won't see Emilie. _A voice chimed in a sing-song tone. Hawkmoth walked in large strides towards the door. So narrow-minded that he didn't notice Nathalie. She grabbed him and tried to stop him from going outside in costume. The last thing they needed was the media knowing who Hawkmoth was or even suspecting who he could be.

"Sir! You can't go out there!" Nathalie's said earnestly. Hawkmoth was shaking out of her grip she had to convince him in a timely manner. "Marinette will be back for her other earring. She's sure to bring Adrien with her. When that happens we'll get the other half of the Ladybug miraculous and the Cat miraculous." She felt his muscles relax in her arms.

_She only wants it for herself. _A voice spoke seemingly through clenched teeth. _He should listen to her. _The voices in his mind debated with one another. Hawkmoth didn't say a word. He transformed back when the timer ran out. Nathalie dragged him to a chair and sat Gabriel down. He sat catatonic. No expression on his face. Gabriel's mouth hung open slightly. Nooroo laid in the middle of the floor panting and tired.

Nathalie scooped him up and brought him upstairs for a piece of cheesecake to recover.

"You've served your Master well Nooroo." She told him. Nooroo hardly had the energy to engulf the entire slice, he lifted himself up to take mouse-sized bite after mouse-sized bite.

"He's not well Mistress."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you don't mind my saying so Mistress, the Master's mind is fractured."

…..Adrien…..

His chest heaved to take in as much air as possible and let it out again. Adrien sat on the ground his back to a cold and rain-slicked brick wall. The edges of his vision were going black. Marinette was all he could see, and even she was fading quickly from view. He was going to pass out.

"Deeper breaths kitty." She said with hushed breath warming his cold skin. He complied with her voice. Deep inhale. Slow and shaky exhale. Bit by bit his breathing got stronger and his vision started to clear. Plagg was eating cheese he found in Adrien's shirt. The rain hit like needles and his breath swirled around him like cigar smoke. "There you go." Marinette sat back and smiled warily. She fell back and sat against the other wall of the narrow alley.

He shook his head from side to side to clear his vision and his thoughts more fully. He realized there was a different kwami floating at Marinette's side. "A Peacock?"

"Hiya! I'm Duusu!" Duusu beamed. She spun with a flourish. Plagg looked at Marinette to ask the obvious question. Adrien looked outside the alley. A little golden feather was floating towards them. Seemingly unfazed by the weather. He managed to pull his gaze away from the feather.

"Where is Tikki?" He seemed angry he had to yell over the plethora of little drops that slammed into the ground, pooled by the sidewalk and flooded the sewer grates. He felt the impulse to smile. He'd never seen Plagg passionate about anything that wasn't cheese. _Maybe there is more to their relationship. _He thought.

"She's gone. But we're going to get her back!" Marinette said it so matter-of-fact. She stretched her tight muscles from the anxiety from a few minutes ago. How could she be so sure they wouldn't fail.

"How do you know?" Plagg and Adrien said at once. Plagg's tone was more haughty while Adrien's tone was more concerned with what the plan was.

"Because! Superhero's rescue their loved ones." She looked at Plagg and Adrien. Plagg crossed his little arms. Furious and cynical. Adrien felt Plagg's emotions pulsing off of him, it felt like a contagion. Like when someone yawned in the same room as him and he felt the need to do the same. He grimaced a little unsure that what Marinette was saying would come to fruition.

"Eeeek! I'm so excited! So what's the plan, Mari!" Duusu squealed.

"Well right now we need to stop Stormy Weather, or pretty soon all of Paris will be flooded." She gestured to the growing body of water but didn't take her eyes off of Adrien. Adrien's eyes followed her gesture. He lingered a little too long on the golden feather continuing at its leisurely pace it was more than halfway across the street.

"Oh yeah? How do you expect to do that without Tikki?" Plagg snapped at her.

"I was thinking we could go talk to Mr. Fu about it and see if he has any ideas. Maybe there's an upgrade that can help." Marinette rubbed the back of her head nervous.

"Don't worry so much Plagg we'll get her back!" Duusu patted Plagg on the back.

"You don't know that featherhead." Plagg was making large arm motions for someone his size.

"I'm optimistic it'll work out," Duusu said with a little less energy.

Adrien's face felt hot with rage. He thought for a moment and tried to figure out why he felt this way, but the anger overtook his thoughts. "Marinette, he's right. You're only going to get your other earring stolen and Hawkm—my father will win." His clenched teeth trialed off to a whisper.

"_Optimism._ Yeah. And what good does that do us now?" Plagg continued and got in Duusu's face. The water seemed to evaporate off of him. Adrien could see the little puffs of steam as the drops fell and boiled on his head.

"Adrien, Plagg," Marinette put her hand on Adrien's shoulder. "We won't let that happen."

She turned her attention to Duusu. "I need you to get inside my bag please."

"Sure thing Mari!"

Adrien opened his jacket and Plagg flew in with a huff.

…

When they got to Mr. Fu's house the water was at Adrien's caves and almost touching Marinette's knees.

"Mr. Fu!" Marinette called as she knocked.

"Marinette. Please come inside. It's dreadful out there." The little old man opened the door. "You brought Adrien with you."

"Hey, Mr. Fu. I'm happy to tell you I know who m' lady is."

Mr. Fu didn't respond. Plagg flew out of Adrien's jacket as he hung it up and shook himself dry. He flew around looking for something soft to roll on. Marinette opened her clutch and Duusu popped out.

"Duusu? Marinette, where is Tikki?" He looked closer and examined her ears. "Where is the other half of your miraculous?"

"It's complicated andthere'snotmuchtimetoexplain. Please, canyoutellmeifthere'saway todeacumatizesomeonewithouttheLadybugmiraculous?" Marinette's words came out almost all at once.

"Slow down please Marinette. There's no way I can understand you."

"HowdoIunacumatizesomeonewithoutTikki?" Marinette still hurried, paced around the room. Duusu followed her enthusiastically.

"We want to know how to deacumatize someone without the Ladybug miraculous." Adrien said in an even tone.

"Ah, why didn't you simply say so?"

Marinette slapped her forehead with the heel of her palm and fell on the ground. She gave a loud exasperated sigh.

"There is something but the effects will not be permanent."

[Author's Note]

Hey Honey! (That's you)

I just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking a little bit of a break from Found Out.

Episode 9 will be up on June 30th 2019.

I want to keep writing this, however, I want to make sure I don't get burnt out on it too. I'm so so thrilled that you love this series, in all honesty, I expected to be done in a couple of chapters and for no one to read it. I'll be taking this break to keep my mind sharp so I can keep writing at the same if not better quality that I have been.

Thanks for being patient with me, Honey. See you soon!

Lots of love,

NoOne


	9. Freedom in the Rain

Previously on Found Out:

"Where is Tikki?"

…

"_Optimism._ Yeah. And what good does that do us now?" Plagg continued and got in Duusu's face.

…

"Mr. Fu!" Marinette called as she knocked.

…

"There is something but the effects will not be permanent."

We Continue:

…..Marinette…..

Mr. Fu sat at his konatsu and sipped his tea. Duusu sat next to the sugar cubes. Duusu reached for one and ate it. "No more than that." Mr. Fu warned.

A million thoughts flooded Marinette's head. _Cat Noir and Adrien are the same person?! We need to stop Stormy Weather. How have I never noticed it before? Do I even love him? Or am I just in love with the idea of him? I lost Tikki. How could I let that happen? _Marinette stopped pacing and forcefully shoved the thoughts into the back of her mind, leaving the main concern of Stormy Weather at the forefront.

"Mr. Fu? What do you mean by 'won't be permanent?'"

"I mean the effects will be temporary." Mr. Fu looked up from his tea and smiled at Marinette.

"I know that! How does it work." Marinette looked to Adrien to support. He wasn't exactly paying attention. His hands dug into his pockets as he browsed a bookshelf, his expression cold. Plagg glowered at her from Adrien's shirt collar.

"Do you have your upgrade food with you?"

"Yeah, I have my macaroons for Tikki…" She turned to the coat hanger in search of her purse, only to realize, "they're in my purse back at Adrien's house."

"Incompetent as ever." Adrien spoke under his breath. He folded his arms.

"What-?" Marinette thought she'd cry. Out of the corner of her blurred vision, she could see Mr. Fu raise his hand to stop her from protesting.

"Plagg come over here." There was so much warmth in his voice that Marinette and Adrien took a step closer to the kotatsu table as well. Plagg flew away from Adrien and rolled his eyes.

Adrien uncrossed his arms "Marinette I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." His expression changed again, there was light and love in his eyes like Cat Noir.

"I forgive you kitty." She smiled back at him. Adrien scratched the back of his head, a nervous tick.

"Plagg. You can feel upset. But you cannot let your feelings infect Adrien." Mr. Fu pat Plagg on the head like a parent would calm a child that had a nightmare. Marinette sat at the kotatsu she watched with great interest, she took the place at Mr. Fu's left. Adrien came over a moment later to take the seat directly across from Marinette.

"She-" Plagg pointed at Marinette and shot her the angriest, bitterest look she'd ever seen. "She lost Tikki! It's her fault we're in this mess."

"Plagg, I'm sorry. I want to get her back." She said. Plagg turned his head away from her, a single quick jerk of a motion.

"Plagg," Mr. Fu looked down at him in a way that demanded that he look back at him. Begrudgingly Plagg met his gaze. "You won't be able to get her back if you cause Cat Noir to not want to work well with Ladybug. It will only take longer."

"Wait, so a kwami's emotions infect the miraculous barer's emotions?" Marinette's gaze drifted from Mr. Fu to Duusu. She waved a little hand from next to the bowl of sugar cubes.

Adrien poured himself a cup of tea and began to sip from it.

"They can, and it can go the other way around as well. Depending on the strength of the bond between the kwami and barer or the intensity of the emotions." Mr. Fu said matter-of-factly. He held his finger out and Wayzz landed on it. He opened his hand and Wayzz laid down. Mr. Fu rested his hand holding Wayzz on the table he cradled both Plagg and Wayzz. Plagg hissed when Mr. Fu drew his hands closer.

"Keep him away from me! I want to be alone." Plagg curried up and settled down. Mr. Fu kept his hands a few inches apart.

Adrien cleared his throat loudly and passed forward his box of upgrade food for Plagg. "Sir? How do we stop her?" As if on cue thunder boomed and the power went out.

Mr. Fu lit a candle. He opened the box and squinted to see the colors.

"Ah yes, this one. The pink upgrade," He looked more at Adrien than Marinette but still looked at her from time to time. "will make it so an Akumatized person won't be Akumatized anymore. It's temporary," He looked at Marinette "because you both will need to try to catch the butterfly on your own."

"Don't you have a net or something we can use to catch it?" Adrien asked.

"No," Mr. Fu laughed a hearty genuine laugh, "what do you think I am, an ex machina shop?"

"But how do we purify it and make everything go back to normal?" Marinette set her now warm hands on the table, the little flame flickered. She could just barely make out Mr. Fu's smiling face in the candlelight.

"If you want to purify the Akuma you'll have to get the other half of your Miraculous back." Mr. Fu said with a shrug.

Adrien picked up his upgrade box and pocketed it. He rose from his place at the table and walked towards the coat hanger.

"Shall we go then m' lady." His voice called playful in the darkness. Plagg flew from Mr. Fu's hands and towards Adrien's voice, his expression empty.

…..Cat Noir…..

The beating of rain and whipping of wind thudded like a melodious war cry. Time slowed down around him. With every fiber of his being, he knew this was what he was meant to do. He leaped into the air the rain merged with the wind, it wasn't wet. Only cold, exhilarating and free.

He didn't have to look. He knew her eyes were on him as they hopped effortlessly from building to building.

Miss Paon giggled to herself, an extra beautiful harmony of staccato notes to fill out the song of rain. "Try to take all this a little more seriously kitty! You're the one with the upgrade."

"Of course m' lady." He bowed to her with a flourish before springing back into the air again.

They headed to the apex of the storm. The air swirled and whipped at Cat Noir's hair.

Stormy Weather yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Oh? The heroes finally decide to show up?" She looked Cat Noir up and down from her perch on a flag pole sticking horizontally out the building. She turned her disinterested gaze to Miss Paon. "Who's this? New girlfriend? Gotta say quite the upgrade from that bore Ladybug."

Cat Noir's head scanned rapidly to see if he could get an advantage on his opponent. "I think you'll find there are more similarities than you might think." He said, propping himself up on his staff.

There was that feather again. A lot higher up in the air maybe 30 feet away from him. It ignored the storm and tried to meet him. He pulled his eyes away from the feather and back on the scene at hand. He could probably spring from below her. His new power was tied to his cataclysm so he'd have to either come from below or above. _I only have one shot I'll need to be precise._

"Oh Stormy, always the kidder!" Miss Paon retorted. She fanned herself, not out of need. _Is she taunting her? _Cat Noir's lips parted and spread into a wide smile.

"M 'lady? Do you know what that feather is?" He jerked his thumb towards the golden feather.

"Oh, that?" She picked up her gaze in the direction of his thumb. "It's supposed to help you."

_Help me? A feather? _His face must have been reflecting that sentiment.

Miss Paon giggled. "Touch it silly kitty!" She spoke just over the sound of the rain so Stormy wouldn't hear.

He headed for the feather.

"Ah ah ah," Stormy twirled her closed umbrella. She opened it the rain pounding like drums. Dun dun dun du dun dun du du du du. She floated down to the rooftop that he and Miss Paon stood on. "Not so fast street vermin. You're forgetting about me!" Her shrill voice rang, _would make a good snare. _The thought passed as he lunged forward in an attempt to bypass her. She deflected him with her once again closed umbrella his body slammed into the concrete roof.

"Kitty!" Miss Paon sprinted to meet him on the ground.

…Last Author's note for a while…

Sorry, this chapter is a little shorter, Honey. I'm getting back into the groove of writing. Thank you so much for your enjoyment and being so patient with me while I took this little break. 3


	10. Frozen

Previously on Found Out:

An Akumatized person won't be Akumatized anymore. You'll have to catch the butterfly on your own.

…

Stormy Weather yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Oh? The heroes finally decide to show up?"

…

"Kitty!" Miss Paon sprinted to meet him on the ground.

We continue

…..Cat Noir…..

No matter how hard he breathed he couldn't take in enough air.

"This is starting to become a habit kitty. Deeper breaths Cat Noir." She pulled him to his feet before he could fully breathe again. The world turned black around the edges.

"I'll do better to dodge next time." He said. His hands pulled her by the shoulders to duck swiftly out of the way of another projectile.

"I'll distract her. Get the feather." Miss Paon's warmth felt so nice he'd forgotten he was cold. Her soft lips grazed his cheek before she left to fight.

His whole body blushed. The cold melted. He looked at the feather and nothing else mattered. He could hear the attacks coming and dodged accordingly, some hit his leg. Overall he didn't seem affected. With a few more steps. His fingers stretched and he caught the feather in his hands. White light poured out between his fingers and engulfed him.

A moment later a black cat the size of a bus with eyes that glowed like a full winter moon appeared next to him. It stretched and yawned then looked at Cat Noir and cocked its head. A shot from Stormy hit it's right paw. It's paw solidified, encased in an ice crystal. It yowled but didn't move. It looked to him again.

"Get her." Those two little words were all it took for the cat to spring into action. The weight of it knocked some bricks out of alignment and shot a crack down the side of the building Cat Noir stood on. When its right paw made impact with the ground it freed itself from the ice.

Miss Paon turned her head and smiled at him when she saw the cat. Time stood still Stormy's head jerked in her direction and shot her with her umbrella. Cat Noir bolted from his place but his legs couldn't move fast enough. Miss Paon stood frozen, ice silhouetted her small form.

"I don't know why I didn't do that from the beginning." Stormy Weather blew on her umbrella and rested her weight on it. The cat continued to charge. It held her down with one paw and hissed in her face its fangs glistened wet with rain and saliva.

"Unfreeze her." Cat Noir said through clenched teeth. He felt more furious than he probably should. Plagg.

"Yeah? Get your big fat pussy cat off me. Maybe then we'll talk." She could hardly breathe, but that didn't stop her from keeping a smug smile plastered on her stupid face.

"Are you sure you're really in a position to be making deals." His turn to be smug. Plagg's anger subsided for the moment. The cat forced more of its weight on her and started to groom itself. She pushed against its thick fur and wheezed. "Cataclysm." Cat Noir sang.

"Wait! ..If you do this… you won't be able to get her back… Would be a waste… for your new girlfriend to stay… frozen.." Stormy pointed a shaky hand at Miss Paon.

"Sounds like you'll have to bring her back for me then. Or you could just keep my cat on you." He smiled down at her and kept his hand at a distance from his face.

She held her umbrella tighter. She shot heavy rain on him and only him. As close a gesture she could get to spitting in his face that she could manage.

Cat Noir wiped his face and slicked his wet hair out of his eyes with his free hand. "Well, black cats were always known for bad luck." Cat Noir reached for Stormy's umbrella and touched it. The umbrella broke and a little white butterfly flew out of it. The black cat got off of the girl and caught the butterfly in its mouth. The rain ceased but the clouds remained. Miss Paon was still frozen in place. He could feel anger bubbling inside him, Plagg's anger. His miraculous started beeping. The Cat opened its mouth and showed Cat Noir its catch, The butterfly fluttered in place. Royal purple bloomed from the center of its abdomen it looked like a tiny drop of ink hit an otherwise pristine surface.

_We don't have much time. _He leaped down from the building and ran into a police box. "Claws in."

"What were you thinking kid you—"

"Save it Plagg we're getting Marinette's miraculous back." Adrien cut Plagg off mid-rant.

…..Gabriel…..

The world spun while he stayed stationary. Voices murmured, some screamed. He couldn't focus on or pick just one. He listened to the cacophony of voice.

…..Nathalie…..

She served him dinner. Adrien didn't return home. Likely planning with Marinette on what to do next. The rain stopped. The world seemed so much quieter. The clouds dampened the night sounds. The lights flickered on as twilight turned to dusk then night. The clock ticked by. Nooroo kept Nathalie company. They both knew he wasn't supposed to but neither of them particularly wanted to be with Gabriel in the messy state he was in.

Nathalie knew her heart wouldn't be able to take it if she had to see him like that again. His food went cold and she picked it up two hours after dinner.

Adrien. He was Cat Noir. The shock sent chills through her. Something in her, a small voice or perhaps, or maybe just intuition knew that they were one and the same all along. She never wanted to admit it. She's always loved the boy like a son. Thinking of him happily eating his dinner and telling her about his day made her heart well up.

She shook her head and checked her watch. 11:30. She sipped her coffee. No cream but a touch of sugar.

"You're up late aren't you Mistress?" Nooroo yawned. He rubbed his eyes. Fluttered from his sleeping place and sat on the coffee table next to her saucer.

"Yes. I'm waiting for Adrien."

"Misstress, if I may be so bold, I don't think the young Master will be home tonight."

"Of course he will Nooroo. Stealing this," Nathalie lifted her half of the Ladybug Miraculous so he could see it. "in the dead of night when the house is asleep is the perfect opportunity." She scolded.

"Of course Mistress. I only meant that, if I may say, you cannot stay awake forever. Humans have their limits."

"Tell me Nooroo, could you stay awake? Do you _need_ to sleep?"

"Yes Mistress, even kwami have their limits."

"I see."

…..Adrien…..

He walked with his hands in his pockets, his hood pulled up and Plagg nested inside his hood. He checked his watch, 10:30.

"How are we going to get her back?" Plagg sounded elated for the first time today. Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, it had been such a long day.

"I've got a few ideas." Adrien took a continued on and didn't say anything else. Thoughts still formed in his mind. He looked straight ahead, the street was still damp. He wanted to smile at the way the light reflected in the street but couldn't bring himself to with Marinette frozen in place still.

"What's the plan kid!"

"We could sneak into my house and steal it." He thought about it, really thought about it. He could feel the uncertainty from Plagg. He knew Nathalie and his father. At least he thought he did. They wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

"Not bad, what else?"

"I guess when I said I had a few ideas I only meant the one."

"How about I be a spy!" Plagg chimed.

"Not bad. Our Cat friend won't be able to hold onto that Akuma for too long so we need to figure something out and fast." Adrien took wider strides, it was supposed to be spring. His breath mixed with the clouds, a low rumble hummed from above.

Plagg kneaded Adrien's t-shirt nervously. He sat perched on his shoulder. "Seriously kid. I could go figure out where they have her hidden and watch the house and when everyone's asleep we can sneak in and get her back."

"Can't you just take it?"

"No, I can't touch another kwami's Miraculous."

"Alright," Adrien pulled down his hood and smiled uneasily. "I guess we have a plan."


	11. Not a Chapter: Update

Hi Honey!

I'm really sorry there won't be a new episode this week.

To be honest I've kind of written myself into a corner. What I'll be doing now is taking a step back to outline where this story is going to go and work on some pacing issues.

I really want to do this story justice and make it as good as I possibly can. I can't promise an exact date for when it'll come back but please know that I'm working on it as much as I can.

That wraps up the main part of this letter to you, Honey so if you're interested in learning a little more about me, and some behind the scenes stuff then continue reading.

Hella cringy I know to just talk about myself rather than post the quarter of the next episode that I do have written. Yet here we are. Here are some basic facts.

1\. I'm a girl! :3 Not a boy. Hopefully, my writing voice conveys that. If not then... I'm actually a college student too. I'm an Aquarius. That's all you're gonna get about that stuff.

2\. I really love Cat Noir that's why his passages are longer and written better. His family situation that the show writers put him in is so interesting to me and I'd love to write a better fic about that alone! Marinette, on the other hand, I find to be kinda shallow in the show, and a little too perfect. That's just personal opinion and preference on characters but I know you won't attack me, Honey. If I were to change anything about the way I went about writing this fic it'd be the way I wrote her. I'd change her and make her my own more, I mean it is fan-fiction may as well be creative.

3\. I have a comic. I mean it's kinda meta it's about writing comics because I'm currently working on making one myself. If you're interested in writing or webcomics then go ahead and check it out. Some forewarning though, my art is really crap in the first few episodes, I get better as it goes on. Here's a link to that it's all completely free and I post to it every other week. en/challenge/making-a-comic/list?title_no=176060

4\. Okay, last shameless plug I promise. I also draw and if you're interested in checking out my art then please look at my Red Bubble for prints, stickers and whatever. I'll work on doing some Miraculous stuff too because it sounds like so much fun to turn those characters into stickers in my style. I also have a TikTok where I post art videos and the occasional vid of my pupper. It's not all good, but it will be.

Red Bubble: people/nooneever?ref=artist_title_name

TikTok: nooneeverplays

At the end of this fic, I plan on doing a self-critique that you can read. I'm writing this fic to practice my writing because I haven't really written in a while. I'll be doing the self-critique for a couple of reasons. 1. Because it's good to be aware of your own pitfalls. 2. for any aspiring writers out there if they want advice they've got it if not then they don't have to read it. 3. for the haters, if there are any at that point, and for the nitpickers. Because believe me, the artist or writer, in this case, is always his/her own worst critic. I'll beat them to the punch.

It also keeps me humble. If I'm critiquing it myself I know for a fact and you know too that I have a lot still to learn, about characters, outlining, my own personal writing process and so on. I'm looking forward to learning and growing with every step and I'm so grateful that you decided to come with me.

See you again soon!

\- No One


	12. Bitter Coffee and Salted Tears

Previously on Found Out:

Miss Paon stood frozen, ice silhouetted her small form.

…

The butterfly fluttered in place. Royal purple bloomed from the center of its abdomen it looked like a tiny drop of ink hit an otherwise pristine surface.

…

"Alright," Adrien pulled down his hood and smiled uneasily. "I guess we have a plan."

We continue...

…..Adrien…..

Adrien stopped at a cafe before going home. He ordered robotically. The outside air didn't move. It was as though Paris itself was holding its breath. Marinate was still frozen. Her smiling face burned into his mind. She had to have known. His hand balled up into a fist in his jacket pocket. _Why didn't she dodge? _His lips curled into a scowl.

"Oh. My. God! Are you Adrien Agreste? The model?!" The barista squealed. Adrien snapped out of his brooding, he jerked his head up to meet the little red head's eyes.

"Yeah," Adrien scratched his head, trying his best to shake off his mood.

"Oh my god!" She whispered. "Here's your espresso, can I please get your autograph?"

"Sure." He signed a napkin and didn't give the barista a second thought. He payed and left the cafe.

The sky grumbled its threat of thunder but the clouds didn't move, there was no visible flash of lightning.

He walked at an even pace towards his house. He let Plagg have some of his espresso, it was going to be a long night on top of an already long and eventful day.

The mammoth building loomed over him. Colder than before it didn't even feel like home. The only warmth that still remained there was the memory of his mother. Cradling him in her arms as a child and singing to him. She had a voice like warm silk that melted away any pain or fears you were having.

"Come on kid it's time to go." Plagg said from Adrien's shoulder under his hood. Adrien swallowed the frog in his throat. _She was always singing. _He walked forward and didn't bother thinking of a plan. That was always Ladybug's way.

"Time for some thinking on our feet. Ready, Plagg?"

"Does camembert have a delectable scent?"

Adrien cringed. "Depends on who's asking." He took long confident strides past the gate and up the door.

…..Nathalie…..

The loud slam of the front door jolted her awake. Nooroo had fallen asleep in her hand. He still rested peacefully. Any warmth she felt vanished. She knew what needed to be done.

"Nooroo, go to Gabriel and wake him."

Nooroo took a deep breath, his eyes fluttered open. "Mistress?"

"Go now. It seems we've attracted a stray cat."

…..Cat Noir…..

"So, my son has returned home." Hawkmoth walked into the entryway. He held a candle. Thunder clapped. Lightning lit up the room fully he could see his father's grinning face vividly, and half a second later the rain resumed and the lightening left as quickly as it appeared. Cat Noir's big black cat was gone now he felt a twinge of sadness for it. Nathalie's heels clacked down the hallway and down the stairs he almost didn't pick up on the sound over the rain.

"Give me Ladybug's Miraculous back." His voice came out shakier than he'd wanted it to but loud enough he knew Nathalie would hear.

His father chuckled. The chuckles crescendoed to howling hysterical laughter.

Nathalie panted a bit when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She straightened her hair and glasses.

"If you want it back I'll make you a deal." She walked towards him and stopped just out of arms reach.

Cat Noir glanced away from Hawkmoth momentarily to look at Nathalie and quickly returned his focus back to Hawkmoth. His father began to pace around the room the little candle licking the air with every step. Cat Noir planted his feet firmly on the granite floor. His father occasionally broke off into a quiet broken conversation and sometimes stood still, his gaze fixated on a single point for a moment, then he'd continue to pace.

"I'd rather not fight you, Nathalie. So I'll at least hear you out." Cat Noir kept his distance. He didn't want to hurt either of them. _Nathalie is the closest thing I've got to a mother… _Cat Noir swallowed. His tongue was sandpaper in his mouth.

"Good kitty. I'll give you Ladybug's Miraculous back if you give me yours in exchange."

"Why should I do that? I thought deals were mutually beneficial."

"Your benefit is that I don't make Cat Noir into a villain in the eyes of the people, or ruin your modeling career. So it evens out you see. Also, perhaps the biggest benefit to you, all of Paris doesn't drown in the flood."

Cat Noir stood completely still, other than Hawkmoth's pacing a pin could drop and the sound could ring to the next country. Cat Noir felt a sorrow come over him it started slowly from the pit of his stomach and expanded. He wanted to get angry, not sad. He recognized the flavor of these emotions. _Plagg._

"Tik-Tok, Adrien, are you really willing to risk the lives of the innocent for the sake of a ring?"

Cat Noir swallowed. "Alright. Claws in" Anger coursed through Adrien intermixed with a sadness so great that felt like his heart and lungs had been forcibly torn out of his chest. He couldn't tell where his anger started and Plagg's sadness began.

"No. Don't do it kid there's gotta be another way.." Plagg didn't bother holding back the tears from his eyes or the tremor in his voice.

"There isn't. We have to stop Stormy Weather from flooding the city." Adrien reached for his ring. "I'll try to get you back."

Plagg turned away from Adrien as Adrien pulled the ring from his finger.

"Bye-" That was all Plagg said before disappearing into his Miraculous. Adrien stood taken aback he felt a ghost of sorrow at the end of his rage. His rage tapered off as well like steam from a hot cup of tea. His emotional state cooled and leveled to the sound of the rain, pattering outside.


	13. Please Come Back Home

Previously on Found Out:

…

_Why didn't she dodge?_

…

Plagg turned away from Adrien as Adrien pulled the ring from his finger.

We Continue…

…Adrien…

"You've made the right choice, Adrien." Nathalie put her upturned palm towards him.

Adrien held his ground and wrapped his fingers tightly around his ring. "No. Give me Ladybug's Miraculous first."

Hawkmoth stood still and watched them both with some interest.

Nathalie breathed an exacerbated sigh. "Come over to the dining room table won't you, Adrien?"

Hawkmoth trailed behind them. Adrien had always felt intimidated by his father but never uneasy. The way in which he approached them with a greedy curiosity made his stomach flip.

Nathalie reached the table before Adrien. She pulled the earring from her pocket and set it on the table. She stood in front of it, blocking the earring from view with her body. She made a gesture with her head that Adrien could just barely see in the dimly lit room. Her head jerked down for him to do the same.

He walked to the other side of the table and set down his Miraculous but kept his hand covering it.

"I can't believe you're making me do this Adrien." She pushed up her glasses and met his eyes. "On the count of three, we let the other person have the Miraculous. Alright?"

"Seems fair."

"One." Nathalie began.

"Two," Adrien said. The air felt so cold.

"Three." They said together. Adrien slid his ring back on in less than a second. "Claws out." And in the time it took for him to say it he was Cat Noir again. "Cataclysm." The table shattered into black dust. Nathalie kept her hand around the earring.

"I didn't want it to come to this Adrien." She stepped out of the way. Hawkmoth lunged towards him.

"Give. It." He hissed. Terror shot through Cat Noir. He tried to jump backward away from Hawkmoth but he had a vice grip on his shoulder. Cat Noir had a feeling he'd have fingerprint shaped bruises on his shoulder the following morning.

Hawkmoth's eyes flickered. "Cat Noir… Cat Noir… Adrien?" Hawkmoth looked down at him as if for the first time. "Adrien? My son." He caught Cat Noir in a tight embrace. Cat Noir kept his hand in a tight fist so no one could slip off his ring. "My son. I'm sorry." He said over and over.

"Father? Please. Give me Ladybug's Miraculous back. Paris doesn't—"

"The Miraculous." Hawkmoth let go of Cat Noir and slumped to the ground. His gaze once more fixed on Cat Noir's ring. "Emilie." Hawkmoth reached for the ring. Cat Noir backed away.

Hawkmoth yawned and stared off in the distance.

"Mother?" Cat Noir's ring started to beep.

Nathalie turned away from him. Her shoulders moved slowly. He couldn't hear her sigh over the rain.

"That is why he wants them you know. He'd wish your mother out of her coma."

"She's alive?" Cat Noir turned to Hawkmoth. He thought about grabbing him by the collar. He hesitated to even think of him as his own father. How could he keep this from him?

"Yes." Nathalie rested her weight on one of the chairs that remained in the dining room. "I just want to see him happy. Please, Adrien. Please. Don't you want to see her again? Don't you want to hear her voice." Nathalie's voice sounded like it was on the verge of shattering like the table. "I know your father wishes for you to have your mother again more than anything."

Cat Noir hesitated. Plagg's feelings were relief and skepticism. He couldn't think. Cat Noir's mind spun.

"I'll come back after school tomorrow." Cat Noir grabbed his head. "I'll negotiate with you. Paris can't handle this much rain and I can't stop it so please. Neither of us wants Paris to drown." Cat Noir picked that to focus on. The bigger picture. All the people. The city.

"Sir? Can you call off Stormy Weather?"

Hawkmoth's moment of lucidity was gone as soon as it began. He didn't react to Nathalie's question. She wiped her eye and approached Hawkmoth. She sat down and looked at him at his level. He looked through her. She laced her arms around him. Hawkmoth's muscles relaxed slightly. He closed his eyes.

Cat Noir walked around the two. _She's in love with father? _The thought passed and swirled into the cyclone of other thoughts his mind played on repeat. _I'm in love with Marinette and she's in love with me. Father is Hawkmoth. Mother's alive. I'm not alone anymore. Plagg is still here. Nathalie is in love with Father. Paris will die if I don't do anything. _He couldn't stop them all.

Cat Noir took a tentative step back. Nathalie opened her eyes and reached out her closed hand.

"Be a good boy and come back home?" Nathalie murmured.

Cat Noir couldn't speak. He knelt down and held her hand in his. He nodded his face fully serious. He hoped his expression communicated that he wanted to see his mother too. He felt the earring in his hand.

"Go. And please bring Marinette back with you tomorrow." Nathalie's voice finally broke.

Cat Noir's timer ran out.

Adrien ran.

…Miss Paon…

She thought she heard the idea of rain. The idea of cackling laughter. But she knew. She had to know there wasn't anything there. Everything was silent. Silent and cold. Had it always been this way? Thoughts of rain hitting her. The glimmer of rain hitting her head. She knew that couldn't be. She floated in a white void. Very quiet. Very still. Her ear felt warm. She couldn't see anything but white. She felt numbness go inside her ear lobe. Her face was warm rain sputtered down. All at once the sound of the night city and the rain hitting the rooftop tuned on. Like turning the knobs on an old radio and hitting the right station.

She still couldn't see. Everything. Icy. She could almost move her lips.

"Marinette!" a high voice. Tikki's voice. "Say 'spots on'! Please! Oh, Marinette." The frantic little voice wailed. "Ti-kk-i Sss-ppp-ots o-o-on." She could barely move.

She turned into some kind of hybrid fusion between Miss Paon and Ladybug. She wore a flowy peacock skirt her yoyo doubled as a fan on one end. The little white feathers closed neatly into a stick. She flayed them out and turned her yoyo to get a better look. Her yoyo and clothes were warm reddish-brown.

"Nice look m'lady." Cat Noir stood in front of her smiling. He spun his tail.

"Cat Noir?"

"Ready to stop Stormy?" He stopped spinning his tail and leaned on his baton waiting for her answer.

"You bet." She said before Cat Noir could get fully comfortable.

They jumped to a higher building, trying to find her. "Aww, the kitty's back for another round." They couldn't see her. "Ladybug? Wait. You're a mix of the other one now? You're supposed to be frozen."

"That's a little cowardly don't you think? To taunt us but not actually be willing to fight?" Miss Ladybug said.

Stormy came out of the clouds. Because as all three of them knew, of course, Stormy was no coward.

"Lucky charm!" Ladybug said.

Cat Noir sighed a little and prepared to be the distraction as always.

"It's a glowing ring?" She scanned the area. She checked her own hand, she wasn't supposed to wear it. She looked at Cat Noir. He was.

They dodged an icy projectile. "Cat Noir put this on."

"Let's not have a repeat of last time m'lady." He put on the ring and the giant black cat from earlier appeared. It closed its moon colored eyes and purred as Cat Noir scratched its ear.

"Ugh, seriously this again?" Stormy shouted exasperated.

"Go on." Cat Noir said to the cat.

The cat didn't hesitate. Stormy dodged it once or twice but the cat was inevitable. It sat on Stormy. Cat Noir broke her umbrella and Ladybug sent the now purified butterfly on its way.

Cat Noir took off the glowing ring to give it to Miss Ladybug. The giant cat evaporated when he took off the ring. With her two words, Paris was saved. The streets were bone dry.

"Ladybug?"

"What is it Cat Noir?"

"I sorta got in a fight with my folks while you were iced. It's more complicated than that but long story short I don't have a place to stay for the night."

"What about Nino?"

"He's still on that trip with Aliya."

Ladybug bit her lip. Her heart was going to beat out of her chest, she was sure of it this time. "You can stay at my house."

"Really that's so nice of you." He stood about five feet away from her and started to walk closer. "I promise to be a purrrfect gentleman." She smiled at his silly pun.

They both discreetly transformed back and walked to Marinette's house together. The lights of the Bakery were still on. It was almost 2 in the morning. The bell on the door rang as Marinette entered. Her dad was still up. He looked so tired and very angry. His hot face grew darker when he saw Adrien.

"What are you doing? What took you so long? Why is he here?"

Marinette gulped. "I know I'm really late and I'm so sorry. There wasn't much I could do about it because I was fro— freezing cold because of all the rain earlier. Adrien was so kind and so was his family before they got into their fight, that they wanted to make sure I was warm before I went home. They covered me in all kinds of blankets. Haha, it was almost excessive. Then the rain stopped. This is Adrien. He got into a really bad fight with his Dad and doesn't have anywhere to stay tonight, can he please stay in the spare room upstairs."

Adrien scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Her father's anger cooled. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"Yes, sir. You're welcome, sir."

Her father trailed behind them both as they walked upstairs. He carried an extra blanket. Marinette stopped before going up to her flight of stairs.

"Thank you, Adrien, for saving me." Her father looked at her with his eyebrow arched. "From getting hypothermia." She added.

"No problem Marinette." They didn't touch each other they didn't do anything else. Seeing his blushing smiling face made her almost trip up the stairs. _Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've done that. _She rubbed her cheek. It was almost healed now. She went upstairs.

…Adrien…

"Thank you very much for your hospitality Mr. Dupain."

"Sure thing kiddo. Just don't get any ideas about my daughter." He sounded happy while he said it. Like it wasn't menacing or threatening. A simple fact like the sky is blue.

"Goodnight." Adrien said. The door slammed behind Marinette's father.

So much had happened it felt like the longest day of his life. He wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep peacefully with everything that was going to happen the following day. Marinette would not be happy. Maybe they could come up with a way out of it. Together.


	14. Passing Notes

Previously on Found Out:

"I didn't want it to come to this Adrien." She stepped out of the way. Hawkmoth lunged towards him.

…

"Mother?" Cat Noir's ring started to beep.

…

They jumped to a higher building, trying to find her. "Aww, the kitty's back for another round."

…

Maybe they could come up with a way out of it. Together.

We Continue:

…Marinette…

For once her alarm goes off on time. She doubted she slept enough. She could only imagine how much sleep Adrien got. She almost squealed. Adrien was in her house. Adrien. She thought of all the times he flirted with her as Cat Noir. All his lame puns. Was that closer to the real him? She pondered this while getting dressed for the day. She checked the mirror before heading out. Her bra was on the outside of her shirt.

"Oh Mari! Hehe! I know you can get it right!" Duusu said looking her over in the mirror. She was chipper like last night didn't happen. Tikki woke up next. She was too tired to notice Marinette's clothing disaster. Marinette corrected her clothes. As she did so she heard two knocks on her door on the floor.

"Just a second!" She lowered her shirt. Marinette grabbed her backpack. "You two will have to share my clutch today."

"That's fine with me Mari!" Duusu beamed and hopped into the bag.

"Marinette…" Tikki spoke in a hushed voice. "You are going to return her to Master Fu correct?"

"Of course Tikki, it's the—"

The knock at her door returned. Adrien's muffled voice "Marinette. It's time for school."

Tikki closed her mouth. Marinette could feel her resentment just barely. Duusu's joy was hard to shake off. Tikki went into the clutch with Duusu.

Marinette walked with Adrien to school side by side. Both of them blushed and looked more tired than they'd care to say.

Class started in a blur. Marinette couldn't focus on anything but the events from the day before. She felt a tap on her desk. She found a neatly folded piece of paper.

What are we going to do about Hawkmoth?

Marinette took a cursory glance down at him. _Why don't we use our phones? _She thought to herself.

Why don't we text? Or wait until after class?

We both know neither of us is paying attention. We could burn the notes after so no one will no. There won't be a digital paper trail.

We could try talking to him.

The bell rang for lunch. They kept passing notes. Everyone else blurred into the background.

No. Not the best idea. He's a little unhinged.

Well. I suppose it would be good if we went over what we know:

1\. He wants Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous

2\. He's someone we know.

Yeah…

Lunch ended with little ceremony. Marinette responded to Adrien's note when the teacher turned around to write on the board.

Is there something you know Adrien?

I know why he wants them. He wants to use the wish to bring back someone he loves… Someone I know.

She took a moment to digest. She almost screamed WHAT?! In the middle of class.

Oh really? that's so romantic! But… what do we do about that? Even if that is his wish nothing can be worth the price of using those Miraculous.

Before she could read his reply the teacher called on her to answer a question she wasn't paying attention to know the answer to. The teacher moved her to the front of the class so she could pay closer attention. She was sat right next to Adrien. Nino was moved next to Aliya.

Marinette. He wants to save my mother.

Marinette raised her hand and asked to go to the bathroom. The teacher asked her another question, this one Marinette happened to know the answer to.

She took the note with her. Marinette locked the stall door. Tikki came out of her clutch. Duusu was asleep. Tikki sat on Marinette's shoulder silently. Marinette held her mouth with her hand. She choked back tears. Tikki tried to radiate calm for Marinette's sake. _His mom. It's his mom. If I were in his place. If I hadn't seen my mom smile. If she wasn't there to comfort me when I had nightmares or couldn't have hugs. If my dad didn't spend time with me… If… If… If…_

"Marinette?" Tikki whispered.

"What do I do Tikki?" she rasped.

"Right now, I think it would be a good idea to wash your face and go back to class. Everything will be fine. I'll keep talking to you."

She did as she was told. Calmed down. Focused on her breathing and returned to class. "Marinette, in all my years of being Ladybug's kwami I've never… The situations were a lot simpler even when past Ladybugs were dealing with other villains." She had nothing more to say.

A new note was on her desk under the cover of her notebook.

You okay?

I want to help. But I don't know what's wrong or right anymore.

She heard Adrien give a sound that was a cross between a sigh and a grunt.

I don't know either.

We don't know what would happen if he made that wish.

Every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction.

The bell rang signaling the end of the day.

"Marinette. You were right before. We have to talk to him. If he won't listen then maybe Nathalie will."

"They don't understand the cost of such a wish." Marinette replied.

They walked together. Adrien leaned in, to whisperer in her ear. "We'll have to leave our Miraculous behind."

"But—"

"Think about it. He can't take what isn't there. If worst comes to worst they can't just take them from us."

"You're right. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't bring back up."

They kept walking. Marinette didn't blush or get excited when Adrien slid his hand into hers. It felt perfectly natural. If he had done anything other than that it would have felt unnatural.


	15. Most Important Role

Previously on Found Out:

…

_If I hadn't seen my mom smile… If I was in his place_

…

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

…

Marinette didn't blush or get excited when Adrien slid his hand into hers. It felt perfectly natural.

We continue:

They walked together at a leisurely pace to Master Fu's house.

"Marinette. Adrien. Back again so soon?" His gaze stopped on their hands. "Ah, finally got together? Please come in."

Marinette, suddenly realizing how embarrassing it was to be seen holding hands, almost pulled her hand away. Adrien stroked the back of her palm with his thumb before letting her hand go completely.

"After you m' lady." Adrien bowed and gestured with an open palm towards the door. He didn't feel sheepish or scared. He felt like everything. Ladybug, who she is, it all just clicked.

Marinette didn't mind his flirting nearly as much, because she knew Adrien's past, his behavior made perfect sense. Adrien lived in the moment because the moment was all he had when his father was looming over him, and his mother was gone. Marinette wasn't nervous to talk to him anymore either, for the first time there wasn't a pedestal to set him on. He was just a boy. She walked inside. And she was just a girl.

"So what brings you here?" Master Fu asked when he sat down at his kotatsu. Tikki, Plagg, and Duusu left their hiding places.

The idea hit Adrien. "Master Fu, could we leave our Miraculous with you?"

"Adrien, is that really the best idea?" Marinette touched his shoulder. He looked her in the eye, electrified by the idea.

"He can't get them if Mr. Fu has them." Adrien sat down at the table. Marinette didn't want to sit. She paced the room.

"Slow down you two. Why would you like to leave you're Miraculous with me?" Master Fu looked between the two of them.

"Because Hawkmoth knows our identities." Adrien said nonchalantly.

Marinette stopped pacing and read the mix of shock and anger starting to color Master Fu's face.

"But! We know his too. So it's alright you see?" Marinette raised her hands in submission. She couldn't bare to see his response so she returned to her pacing. _Who do we bring with us? If we bring anyone they'll find out who we are too if we're not careful._

"I see." Master Fu stroked his beard. He waited for more information.

"Adrien, maybe getting back-up isn't the best idea." Marinette kept pacing but looked up from the ground at Adrien.

"Why not? We'll need someone to help us if things get dangerous. If we leave our Miraculous we can't save each other, bugaboo." He didn't pay attention to Master Fu.

She blushed at that then broke her gaze from him. That was the first time he'd called her that out of costume. It felt really weird but she liked it. "Because if we bring back-up they'll find out who we are. We run the risk of going public with our identities." She said looking at the ground.

"Well, it works in the movies." Adrien smiled and shrugged.

"This isn't a time for jokes kitty!"

Master Fu sighed. Marinette stopped. Adrien turned his head to him. Master Fu was smiling.

"You two bicker like an old married couple." He shook his head. "I've been listening very carefully. Do you plan on confronting Hawkmoth as just yourselves?"

"Well, yes. Because he wants our Miraculous and knows who we are." Marinette chimed in. Adrien's face fell an almost illegible degree. He stroked his ring with his thumb. _The right thing to do would be to leave them with Master Fu but, what if I could see her again. What if there was a chance?_

"Would you like for me to select a new Ladybug and Cat Noir?" Master Fu suggested.

"No!" They both said in unison.

Adrien closed his hand into a determined fist. "Sir, being Cat Noir is the most fun I've had in my life. I don't want to give that up."

"Master Fu, I couldn't imagine my life without being Ladybug or having Tikki with me."

"How long would I hold them for? Your identities have been compromised, as you both have made painfully clear. Hawkmoth can blackmail you. You've put your families, friends, and each other at risk." Master Fu delivered the news with such coolness it could have pierced the air.

"Actually sir, Hawkmoth is my father," Adrien spoke tentatively.

Silence fell over them.

"What do you hope to achieve in giving your Miraculous to me?"

"We were hoping we could talk Hawkmoth out of it…" Marinette thought for half a beat. "And also keep our Miraculous safe."

More silence.

"This plan of yours may still work if only one of you leaves you're Miraculous with me." Master Fu said.

Adrien and Marinette let that sink in for a moment.

"You're right! He can't make a wish with only one of our miraculous. If he were to get one of them." Marinette clapped her hands together.

"But whose do we leave behind?" Adrien asked, more to himself rather than the room.

Marinette sat down a few feet away from them. She had finally tired of pacing.

_Ladybug can return an akuma to its peaceful state and revert any damage back to normal. All I can do is destroy things once then turn back to normal. It would make more logical sense to leave my Miraculous._

"I'll leave mine," Adrien said.

"What? But Adrien," Marinette jerked her head up to meet his eyes. Her blue eyes digging into his green ones.

"He's my Dad, maybe he'll respond better if I'm not Cat Noir right now." Adrien motioned to take off his ring. Plagg finally flew forward.

"Kid wait, can I at least say goodbye first?"

"We'll see each other again Plagg." Adrien petted his head.

"Pssh, not to you! You know as long as you have camembert in your pocket you won't be able to get rid of me!" Plagg crossed his arms.

Adrien smiled at him and nodded for him to say what he wanted.

Plagg flew closer to Tikki. "Hey, sugar cuube!" He knew Tikki hated being called that but she didn't turn away from him this time. "Do me a favor and don't get captured again."

"We'll do our best Plagg." Tikki smiled at him.

He hesitated by her side a moment.

Tikki kissed his cheek. "I'll be alright Plagg. Go."

Adrien felt the mixture of elation and uselessness all the way from where he sat. Adrien felt annoyed with him. He hated being useless. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. _I'm not useless on this mission. I'm playing the most important role I'm being myself. Ladybug will only be necessary if we can't negotiate._

Marinette had already set The Peacock Miraculous on the table. _When did she do that? _

"See you soon buddy."

"Bye Adrien."

Adrien took off the ring and set it on the table. "Shall we go m' lady?"

"Yes." She stood.

He got up and headed towards her.

"Children," They both turned to face Master Fu. "Be careful."

"Of course." They both said, albeit with different tones. Marinette said it with a sense of duty. Adrien said it like Master Fu had stated the obvious.

They left.

"Kitty, we're either about to do something very smart or very stupid." She looked ahead.

His heart raced every time she called him that. "With our luck, it'll be the latter." He pecked her cheek.

_Did Adrien Agreste just kiss me? _Marinette blushed so red the tomatoes at the market looked pale. He chuckled in her ear. She hoped with all her heart it wouldn't be the last time she'd get to hear it.

Author's Note:

Hi Honey,

Thank you for your patience. It took a while to get this one out huh?

I've started school again so I'll be updating this fic a little more spontaneously.

So if I don't post anything for a while please know I am still writing!

I'm just working really hard in school too!

We're almost to the end. This has been so fun to write.

I hope you have a lovely school year if you're in school.

-No One


	16. Fluff and Circumstance

Previously on Found Out:

_"__How long would I hold them for? Your identities have been compromised, as you both have made painfully clear. Hawkmoth can blackmail you. You've put your families, friends, and each other at risk.__"_

_…_

_"You're right! He can't make a wish with only one of our miraculous."_

_…_

_"Kitty, we're either about to do something very smart or very stupid."_

_"With our luck, it'll be the latter."_

We continue…

Adrien squeezed Marinette's hand. She covered her mouth and yawned. He led them over to a bench. He wondered if he should even bother delaying the inevitable. Either way they'd have to go to his place eventually, unfortunately, it wouldn't be in the context he'd have preferred.

"Sorry. I'm really tired." She tried to hold back another yawn. And failed. He looked at her like really looked at her. Her eyes had dark circles under them. Her usually pristine pig-tails were frizzy and uneven. A forgotten tuft of hair stuck straight out between the two pigtails. He stroked it to lay it down. The hair sprung right back up. He glanced at his watch. 7 already.

"You're hair's kinda messy today isn't it bugaboo." He smiled down at her.

"Huh?! Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I should have done it right this morning!" She started to pull at her hair ties. He stopped her hand.

"You don't have to. I think it's cute."

She smirked at him. "It'll be even cuter when it's done properly." She resumed pulling out the elastic bands. She shook out her hair it puffed out easily two times its normal size. He couldn't hold it back even if he wanted to she looked too cute. He laughed.

"Hey! Don't laugh!" Marinette blushed.

"I'm sorry m' lady you look like a blue cotton ball!" He wheezed and laughed harder.

"Fine if you think it's so funny I'll cut it all off!" She teased. She smoothed half her hair into one pigtail. The other half still puffed out. More like cotton candy now that Adrien thought about it.

"Don't. Please. It's beautiful!" He ran his fingers through her messy hair.

"A beautiful cotton ball?" She looked at him still blushing, she rolled her eyes, pretending to be mad as best she could. She felt for his hand and pulled it free. She squeezed it gently. Even though all this they both could feel the gravity of the situation. She set his hand in his lap and smoothed over the rest of her hair into the other pigtail. The finished result wasn't perfect, but it was a remarkable improvement from what it was before.

"Are we ready?" Adrien asked. He held out his hand to her. She automatically interlaced her fingers with his.

"As I'll ever be."

He swung her arm back and forth as they walked together.

"If you'd rather not fight. I could play the part for you." They passed the coffee shop that Adrien stopped at the night before. Marinette thought for a moment. Her eyes moved back and forth rapidly like she was listening to something. She smiled.

"Tikki isn't too crazy about the idea of you being Mr. Bug again." She paused. "She says you didn't do a bad job but she prefers me over you."

"You over me… that can be arranged." He spun her, they danced for two steps along the sidewalk then resumed walking. Marinette shoved him playfully.

"Oh stop it." She giggled.

They made it to the gate. He didn't feel as nervous with her by his side. Something in him told him he probably should feel more nervous. More protective. After all, he had more to lose this time. If he lost Marinette, if she got hurt or got her Miraculous taken away he wouldn't be able to save her. He knew this, yet still felt calm and relaxed, like he'd just gotten back after a nice date. In a way he had. He held onto that feeling.

The gate opened. They passed through. He held tighter to the calm, the relaxed air he'd had. It was slippery like trying to hold onto a wet bar of soap.

With every step, he felt more and more angry and protective. He didn't want her to go inside. He didn't want them to try to sway her. His hand tightened.

"Ow!" Marinette pulled her hand out of his.

"I'm sorry." He looked horrified that he hurt her.

She rubbed her hand. "It's okay." She paused to collect her thoughts. "We can do this Adrien. We've done it a hundred times before."

"I know, it's just, it's different this time."

Her cool blue eyes so warm and tender smiled up at him. "It'll be different every time from here on out." She kissed his cheek this time. With both their hearts pounding that was all the courage they were going to get for the night. They had no idea how much they'd need it.

…Nathalie…

She stood with her feet planted. Gabriel's state was like a pendulum, he'd be lucid and like he used to be, as though he was getting better. Then he'd swing back and be catatonic. She thought if she stayed calm if she stayed put and consistent he'd snap out of it fully.

She looked up the symptoms earlier. "Schizophrenia. Can come on suddenly after the patient experiences a great emotional shock." That's what it said. She nearly broke down crying. She could feel the tears building inside her. She stretched her shoulders, shrugging off the heavy emotions. Nooroo flew next to Nathalie. Gabriel was quiet. Sitting. There didn't seem to be a thought in his head, or perhaps, there were too many.

"Nooroo? Do you know about the legend?"

"You mean the wish Misstress? Yes."

"Is it true, it can grant any wish?"

"Yes. But-"

She held up her hand to him to stop him from speaking farther.

She walked to Gabriel and whispered in his ear. "I want you to be happy. I want Adrien to be happy." She kissed his cheek. He didn't register anything. "Even if it isn't with me." She unpinned his ascot and took his miraculous.

"Come along Nooroo." She closed the door behind her and locked it. The front door slammed shut. Her head whipped around. Shock hit her. Now was her chance she could make them understand, and if that didn't work she'd take their miraculous by force.

"Misstress, there's a great cost to doing this."

"I don't care about that. As long as I can see them smile together like a family again."


End file.
